Democracy Now! | Headlines | Israel Starts New Settlement Construction in Occupied Territories
Israel Starts New Settlement Construction in Occupied Territories
The Israeli government has announced another new round of settlement construction in the Occupied Territories. Israel says it will build more than 800 new homes in Har Homa, a settlement outside East Jerusalem. Israel has previously agreed to halt settlement expansion under the US-backed Road Map. But it now claims the pledge only applies to those settlements it doesn’t ultimately want to keep. Israeli Interior Minister Meir Shitreet defended the new settlement expansion by citing biblical claims.
Israeli Interior Minister Meir Shitreet: “Har Homa is part of Jerusalem. It’s not a settlement. And one sometimes people are regularly forget Jerusalem is our capital, not since King David—Camp David, but since King David, so that claims that they cannot build in Jerusalem is totally nonsense. No one in the government of Israel ever stop building in Jerusalem.”
Israel has expanded settlements around Jerusalem since occupying it in 1967. Palestinian senior negotiator Saeb Erekat said Israel should choose between settlement expansion or peace.
Saeb Erekat: “We condemn the Israeli government decision to build 820 settlement housing units. This is a flagrant violation of the Annapolis process. This undermines our effort to continue with the peace process. And President Abbas today personally contacted all the members of the Quartet, and he launched a very strong protest, and he intends to put this issue tomorrow when he meets with [Israeli Prime Minister Ehud] Olmert. This cannot stand. The government of Israel has the choice either to continue the settlement activity or to continue the peace process. It cannot have both.”
It’s at least the fourth time Israel has announced a major construction project in occupied territory since the US-brokered Annapolis summit late last year.
-from Democracy Now!
Once again Israel thumbs its nose at international law. Peace 
And I am sure if the arabs had captured all of Jerusalem, they would happily give it back. Right!
Colin in Canada said this on June 3, 2008 at 10:06 am
Ah, but here is the key—the Arabs didn’t have to capture all of Jerusalem, it was theirs to begin with. That is, until the Zionists showed up and stole it out from under them! Peace
peaceseeker99 said this on June 3, 2008 at 7:21 pm
And yet again, the Palestinians have to smile about it and attend the ever mythical peace talks OR ELSE.
June said this on June 4, 2008 at 2:12 am
What do you mean when you say “theirs to begin with?” The city existed before both Christianity and Islam. Jerusalem has had many occupiers, conquerers, and government systems in the last 2500 years or so: Romans, Europeans, Ottomans, Brits, etc.
I think the only answer is for Jerusalem to be declared a sovereign city-state, with a democratic gov’t that does not endorse religion, ethnicity or race. But that won’t fly because everything in Jerusalem is about religion, ethnicity or race.
davidcarney said this on July 10, 2008 at 1:06 am
When I say “it was theirs to begin with”, I mean that the Arabs, Christians, Muslims, were already living in the region until the Zionists were allowed to steal the land right out from under them. It’s no different than what the United States did to the Native Americans. For me the issue is beyond religion. And yes, the area of Palestine has had many occupiers throughout history.
Israel must be held accountable for their actions. They cannot be allowed to continue violating international and humanitarian law. If we were talking about any other nation in the world the situation might be different. But when Israel is criticized in any way you can bet that they’ll start playing the anti-semitsm card. Progress cannot be made until the State of Israel begins to treat the Palestinian people like human beings, and the United States stops supporting their illegal and inhuman actions. Peace
peaceseeker99 said this on July 10, 2008 at 10:43 pm