Israel okays 1,600 settler homes for East Jerusalem

Israel's interior minister has given final approval for a plan to build 1,600 settler homes in East Jerusalem, a project whose announcement last year during a visit by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden caused a diplomatic rift with Washington. The official announcement Thursday of the go-ahead from Interior Minister Eli Yishai could weigh on U.S.-led efforts to dissuade the Palestinians from seeking United Nations endorsement of statehood in the absence of peace talks they suspended over Israeli settlement construction.

Reuters

This can't be helpful to the ongoing "peace process". Sure this expansion was announced last year but Obama and Biden publicly criticized Israel so it was put on the back burner and pretty much forgotten. A few days after Abbas submitted Palestine's bid for statehood and rejected mediator's offers for a deal, Israel announces confirmation of this expansion in Jerusalem. This seems like retaliation. Jerusalem is where Palestine wants to establish its capital once statehood is established.

This is certainly not going to aid the already fragile situation in Palestine/Israel. My only fear is that some Palestinians will retaliate for this news. Any attacks would play right in the hands of Israel. I hope the Palestinians take the peaceful approach and let the Israeli government continue their expansions in defiance of international pressure to freeze settlement expansion.

Let the rest of the world see what is really going on over there. More videos of IDF bulldozing Palestinian homes will surely help expose the Zionist agenda in Israel. Netanyahu will justify this using the housing crisis Israeli's were protesting about over the last couple weeks. All I can say is this will most likely not be a positive turn of events.

Israel is never ever going to give up Jerusalem. This move serves as a message to the world of that fact.

reply to post by micmerci


Nobody is talking about Jerusalem. If you read the article you'd know they are talking about EAST Jerusalem. 2 different places.

reply to post by micmerci


I hate to admit it, but you are most likely right. I never once thought in reality that Israel would ever budge on any negotiations, but this certainly serves as a strong reminder.

The part that bothers me the most, is the reasoning they use for these types of actions. They will play the victim as they terrorize the Palestinians.

reply to post by RenauddeMontauban


East Jerusalem is part of Jerusalem. Looks someone needs a quick refresher in Geography.

Google is your friend.

East Jerusalem

East Jerusalem refers to the parts of Jerusalem captured and annexed by Jordan in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and then captured and annexed by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. It includes Jerusalem's Old City and some of the holiest sites of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, such as the Temple Mount, Western Wall, Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

reply to post by RenauddeMontauban


That's like saying Brooklyn isn't part of New York City. Please check your facts before you post- it saves you from embarrassment.

reply to post by Corruption Exposed


Thanks for providing the info. It is obvious that it is needed.