7,000 New Illegal Israeli Settlement Units in Jerusalem, More Theft of Palestinian Lands to Appease Israeli Protesters

Construction of 7,000 new illegal Israeli settlement units in Jerusalem under way

[ 06/08/2011 - 11:04 AM ]

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)--

The Israeli occupation government is planning on carrying out plans to build 7,000 new illegal settlement units, built illegally on Palestinian lands in Jerusalem, Israeli media outlets have reported.

Underway construction plans in the occupied city have accumulated since US Vice-President Joe Biden last visited a year and a half ago.

Now plans to build 1,328 units in Ramat Shalom will be put to the expedited building committee formed by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu in 60 days. These were the same plans that caused crisis between the US and Israel during the Biden visit.

A local planning and construction board also approved 900 homes to be built in the Gilo settlement, and another plan under discussion by the expedited building board for 625 units in Pisgat Ze’ev is slated to begin taking effect.

A separate 930 units have been approved to be built in Har Homa (Jabal Abu Ghneim) between Jerusalem and Bethlehem earlier this week.

Meanwhile, EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton has condemned the recent approval of the Har Homa project, saying that she was ‘’disappointed’’ by the decision.

‘’The European Union has repeatedly urged the government of Israel to immediately end all settlement activities in the West Bank, including in East Jerusalem. All settlement activities are illegal under international law,’’ she added in a statement.

930 New Units Approved in the Illegal Settlement of Har Homa

Thursday August 04, 2011 18:13 by Circarre Parrhesia - IMEMC & Agencies

In what appears to be a response to the ongoing housing crisis in the Zionist State of Israel, the Israeli occupation government has on Thursday given final approval to build housing units in the illegal Israeli settlement of Har Homa, which is built illegally on the Palestinian mountain of Abu Ghunaim. (This means more theft of Palestinian lands to appease Israeli protesters on the expense of the Palestinian people).

Israeli media outlets are reporting that 930 new housing units will be constructed in the illegal settlement of Har Homa, situated between East Jerusalem and Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank.

This new approval follows the submission of a petition by 42 Members of the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, to expand construction of settlements.

Israeli spokesperson, Efrat Orbach, stated that initial approval of the expansion of Har Homa was granted two years ago, and that final approval was delayed due to necessary amendments.

Yet this approval comes in the midst of a housing crisis in Israel that has seen ongoing protest in Tel Aviv, with upwards of 150,000 persons attending protests at the so-called “Tent City”.

Construction of the settlement of Har Homa began in 1997 on Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank by Israel following the Six Day War of 1967, and currently houses a population of approximately 20,000. Under the Fourth Geneva convention the resettlement of an occupying power’s population onto non-sovereign land is an illegal act.

EU 'profoundly disappointed' by new settlement plan

Ma'an, Friday 05/08/2011 (updated) 07/08/2011 11:01

BRUSSELS (AFP) --

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton on Friday roundly disapproved Israel's go-ahead to the building of 900 new homes in east Jerusalem, saying new settlements damaged the prospects for peace.

"I am profoundly disappointed" by Thursday's approval of a project that has triggered fierce criticism from the Palestinians and the international community, Ashton said.

The new homes will expand a neighborhood in Jerusalem's southwest that is defined as being within municipal boundaries despite lying directly next to the Palestinian West Bank town of Bethlehem.

"The European Union has repeatedly urged the government of Israel to immediately end all settlement activities in the West Bank, including in East Jerusalem. All settlement activities are illegal under international law," she added in a statement.

Israel's decision to further expand settlements was particularly regrettable at a time when the international community was working to restore talks leading to a solution of the conflict, Ashton said.

"Continued settlement undermines trust between the parties and efforts to resume negotiations. This is especially true with regard to Jerusalem.

"I believe there can be no sustainable peace in the Middle East without a two-state solution with the state of Israel and a viable and contiguous Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security.

"Settlement activity damages this prospect," she concluded.

Israel's settlement construction has snarled peace talks that restarted in September 2010, but ground to a halt weeks later when a partial Israeli ban on settlement building expired.

Israel declined to renew the freeze, which covered the West Bank but not east Jerusalem, and the Palestinians say they will not negotiate while Israel builds on land they want for their future state.

More than 300,000 Israelis live in settlements in the West Bank and another 200,000 live in settlements in east Jerusalem, which is also home to some 270,000 Palestinians.

Israel has occupied the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem since 1967.

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