Israel approves West Bank settlement expansion

Published today (updated) 08/03/2010 13:31

Bethelehem - Ma'an -

The Israeli occupation government authorized the building of 112 new homes in an illegal West Bank settlement on Monday, in spite of a declared halt to settlement expansion in November, Israeli media reported.

Israeli Environment Minister Gilad Erden told Army Radio that the illegal Israeli settlement of Beitar Illit, near Bethlehem, would see further expansion, but that the latest construction did not constitute a breach of the 10-month partial moratorium.

"At the end of last year, the government decided to freeze construction, but this decision provided for exceptions in cases of safety problems for infrastructure projects started before the freeze ... Such is the case in Beitar Illit," Erdan said.

PLO official slams latest expansion

The PLO's chief of Jerusalem affairs, Ahmed Qurai'a, condemned Israel's latest settlement expansion in the West Bank, stating that it undermined renewed US peace efforts.

The announcement on the eve of US Vice President Joe Biden's arrival in Israel, attempting to rebuild Middle East peace efforts after the PLO Executive Committee agreed to US-backed proximity talks with Israel.

US Middle East envoy George Mitchell arrived on Saturday, as indirect talks are set to begin. Negotiations were broken off in December 2008 when Israel launched its assault on the Gaza Strip.

While the PLO agreed Sunday to indirect talks with Israel, assigning a four-month deadline, it has repeatedly called for a halt to all settlement construction, particularly in East Jerusalem, before returning to talks. The occupied eastern part of the city was not included in Israel's 10-month halt, sparking Palestinian and international condemnation.

Israel to compensate settlers

The Israeli cabinet announced on Sunday that the government approved the outline for compensating Israeli citizens living in the illegal West Bank settlements "adversely affected" by the 10-month settlement freeze.

Those Israelis eligible for compensation include "those who purchased apartments, to contractors and those with building permits and one-time compensation to those local councils that were adversely affected by the decision," a cabinet statement said, adding that a detailed criteria would be issued in the coming days.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu termed the move a "just and humanitarian decision."

Apartheid, Land-Grab Wall's construction continues in Bethlehem

The expansion of the Beitar Illit settlement further coincides with the latest construction of Israel's separation wall in Beit Jala, Bethlehem at the beginning of March.

On Sunday, the head of the Popular Committee Against the Wall, Khalid Azza, said once the wall's construction is complete, Beit Jala would be isolated from the neighboring Al-Walaja village, describing the act as "terrorism and piracy against Palestinian land."

"By continuing to build the separation wall in Beit Jalla, the Israeli government will crucify the city, just as Jesus Christ was crucified," he said.

The Israeli High Court of Justice ordered a halt to the wall's construction in the area in 2004, but Azza said the Israeli government "brushes aside" all resolutions and continues to challenge the international community.

An Israeli court issued a stop-order on the wall's construction four days prior, after a petition was filed by Ghayyath Nasser, a lawyer representing the municipality, which stated that the digging undertaken by Israeli forces was illegal, having begun immediately following a land confiscation order without giving landowners the stipulated 45 days to challenge the decision.

PLO Agrees To Indirect Talks With Israel

Monday March 08, 2010 11:41 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

The Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) agreed to holding indirect talks with Israel, as proposed by the United States, while some PLO factions expressed rejection to such talks.

Yasser Abed-Rabbo, secretary of the Executive Committee of the PLO, said that the committee accepted the American proposal for indirect talks with Israel.

Abed-Rabbo added that after the PLO’s Executive Committee, headed by President Mahmoud Abbas, deliberated the issue for more than four hours, it decided that it would give the American proposal a chance.

The committee decided that such talks should be initially focused on the issues of borders and security.

It also stated that the American mediation and the foundations of the talks should be based on the two-state solution, to guarantee the establishment of a Palestinian state in the Palestinian territories, occupied by Israel in 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Abed-Rabbo said that indirect talks were rejected by some PLO Executive Committee members, while some committee members expressed reservations.

The leftist Palestinian People Party (PPP) voted against the resumption of talks under the circumstances.

The Arab League expressed support to indirect talks with Israel, mediated by the United States, and decided to give these talks a four-month chance to show progress.

The PPP said that deciding to hold talks, or not to hold talks, is a decision that should be made by the PLO and its factions.

Abbas is expected to hold a meeting in Ramallah on Monday, with the U.S. Special Middle East Envoy, George Mitchell, to discuss the American proposal.

On Wednesday, Abbas will be holding a meeting with U.S vice-president, Joe Biden, to discuss the efforts to resume the stalled peace process.

Palestinian Presidency spokesperson, Nabil Abu Rodaina, said that the Palestinians do not want guarantees, but want clear Israeli decisions to show it is willing to achieve peace.

“We also want to know whether the United States can resume its efforts, and is able to run the peace process under the current Israeli policies and preconditions”, Abu Rodaina said, “We need clear Israeli decisions, four months from now, the region will be on a cross road, the process either advances or returns to its current state of idleness”.

The Arab Follow-up Committee decided during its March 2nd meeting to convene again in June to evaluate the indirect peace talks, and to discuss other alternatives should the talks fail to show progress. One of the Alternatives is heading to the Security Council.