Before heading to Washington to talk 'peace', Barak approves more units for illegal settlers

Tuesday June 30, 2009 01:33 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Hours before he took off to Washington for talks with the US administration on peace and settlements, Israeli occupation government defense minister, Ehud Barak, approved the construction of a new settlement in the so-called Benyamin region.

The approval came as part of a deal with the settlers who were evacuated from the illegal Migron settlement outpost.

The settlers would move into a new settlement of 250 houses after they evacuate their outpost built on privately owned Palestinian land.

Migron is inhibited by 45 families, only two families are living in permanent housing, while the rest are living in trailers.

The ministry stated that 50 houses will be built as the first stage until construction permits are issued to build more. It has a detailed plan for the construction of 1400 houses.

The plan was put forth after the Israeli High Court ordered that evacuation of Migron illegal outpost.

The Ministry signed an agreement with settler leaders of Migron stating that the illegal outpost, inhibited by 40 settler families, would be evacuated and the settlers would be moved to Adam settlement in the Benyamin region after the new constructions are completed. 

Eitan Broshi, Barak’s advisor for settlement affairs, said that initially 190 homes would be built, but the ministry also approved the construction of 50 homes for the settlers of Migron. 

The Israeli Housing and Construction Ministry had already filed a request to hook the new 'neighborhoods'; with power and infrastructure. 

Israeli online daily, Haaretz, said that in order to  approve the 50 homes, the ministry would have to approve a detailed construction plan to build 1450 homes for the settlers.

Israeli Peace Now Movement stated that it filed an appeal against the 50 new homes for Migron settlers, and said that the construction is the first step towards expanding the Adam settlement. 

The movement added that ‘instead of evacuating the illegal outpost of 40 families, the government is planning to construct a neighborhood which is 30 times bigger than Migron settlement’. 

It added that Barak became a ‘faithful servant for the settlers’. 

Abbas: 'Resuming peace talks depends on Israel's halt of settlement activities'

Tuesday June 30, 2009 10:12 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, stated that resuming peace talks with Israel depends on freezing all settlement activities in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, and on Israel's acceptance to the two-state solution.

Abbas added that the Palestinian Authority recognizes the state of Israel, and that Israel must recognize the Palestinian right to statehood and independence.

The president stated that Israel was informed that the Arab and Islamic countries agree to normalize with it in return to its full withdrawal from the Palestinian territories, the Golan Heights and the Shebaa farms in southern Lebanon.

He said that the Palestinian Authority is committed to the Road Map plan, and that Israel should do the same.

Referring to unit talks in Cairo, Abbas stated that the Fateh negotiators were instructed to ensure the success of national unity talks in order to end the internal divisions.