Israel has published tenders for the construction of 1,761 illegal housing units for Israeli settlers in Occupied East Jerusalem alone, according to the Israeli rights group Peace Now. The expansion plans come despite promises by the Israeli government at last year’s peace summit at Annapolis, Maryland to freeze all settlement growth. In addition to the public announcement of the tenders, there are currently 500 houses already under construction in Har Homa, and 240 in the settlement of Maaleh Adumim in Occupied East Jerusalem. UN chief Ban Ki-moon has stressed repeatedly that settlement construction or expansion in the Occupied West Bank is contrary to international law and Israel’s commitments under the “road map” peace process. The road map was a series of peace-building measures proposed by US President George W. Bush in 2002 and subsequently developed by the so-called diplomatic “Quartet” of the European Union, the United Nations, Russia and the United States. Ban further urged Israel to freeze all colony activity and to dismantle “outposts” erected since March of 2001.
ISRAEL PLANS MORE JEWISH SETTLEMENTS
Israel has published tenders for the construction of 1,761 illegal housing units for Israeli settlers in Occupied East Jerusalem alone, according to the Israeli rights group Peace Now. The expansion plans come despite promises by the Israeli government at last year’s peace summit at Annapolis, Maryland to freeze all settlement growth.
