Israel Approves Nearly 1,200 More Settlement Homes

Source

Israel approved building nearly 1,200 more settlement homes Sunday and agreed to release 26 long-held Palestinian security prisoners — highlighting an apparent settlements-for-prisoners trade-off that got both sides back to peace talks after a five-year freeze.

Yet concerns were mounting, especially among Palestinians, that the price is too steep. Sunday's announcement was Israel's third in a week on promoting Jewish settlements on war-won lands the Palestinians want for a state. It fueled Palestinian fears of a new Israeli construction spurt under the cover of U.S.-sponsored negotiations.

In Israel, the most vocal protests came from relatives of those killed in attacks carried out by Palestinians slated for release.

Trading Palestinian prisoners who murdered Israelis for lands in East Jerusalem & the West Bank to build new settlements on? Interesting but it seems both Israelis and Palestinians are not happy with this decision. While it is reported this new trade off is helping promote peace talks other reports are stating it's only going to hurt peace talks. I can imagine why since Israeli settlements vs Palestinians are always a hot issue, remember Rachel Corrie?

Palestinians say Israeli settlement plans ‘destroying talks’

Officials slam decision to build 1,200 units over Green Line; Erekat: Israel ‘determined to force us to leave negotiating table’

Palestinian officials on Sunday condemned Israel’s decision to build some 1,200 housing units beyond the Green Line but stopped short of threatening to abort the next round of talks, scheduled to begin Wednesday.

Israel’s move proved “it wasn’t serious about negotiations” and was rather trying “to topple the foundations of the solution, which is establishing a Palestinian state in the ’67 borders,” Israel Radio quoted Mohammad Shtayyeh, a Palestinian negotiator, as saying. “It’s a slap in the face of the Americans,” he said.

Palestinian react to Israeli settlements

CNN talks to chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat about Israeli's new settlement announcement.

Kind of seems like a deal that screws both sides...

And people wonder why that whole situation is messed up over there.

Dangerous prisoners released, more land lost for Palestine...

reply to post by benrl


From the looks of it Israel was going to build anyway so I think the release of over 100 Palestinian prisoners is their hope to quell any anger, but both sides are angry over this. At the end of the day it looks like Israel just wants to continue expanding no matter what the cost and releasing these prisoners is of little cost to them.

Source

Housing and Construction Minister Uri Ariel (Jewish Home) announced Sunday that 793 new apartments would be built in Jerusalem, and 394 in large settlement blocs in the West Bank.

“No country in the world takes orders from other countries where it can build and where it can’t,” Ariel said in his statement. “We will continue to market the homes, and to build in the entire country… This is the right thing at the present time, for Zionism and for the economy.”

Ariel has long been a vocal supporter of building across the Green Line, having previously served as secretary general of Amana, a settlement movement, and of the Yesha Council, an umbrella group of settlement municipalities.

Four hundred new units are set to be built in the Gilo neighborhood, 210 in Har Homa, and 183 in Pisgat Zeev neighborhoods of Jerusalem. In the West Bank, Efrat would receive 149 new apartments, Ariel 117, Maaleh Adumim 92, and Beitar 36.

Green Line (Israel)

Green Line refers to the demarcation lines set out in the 1949 Armistice Agreements between Israel and its neighbours (Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria) after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The Green Line is also used to mark the line between Israel and the territories captured in the Six-Day War, including the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Golan Heights and Sinai Peninsula (the last has since been returned to Egypt as part of the 1979 peace treaty). The name derives from the green ink used to draw the line on the map while the talks were going on.[1]

So, take some prisoners and swap them for land. Take some more prisoners and swap them for some more land....

I wonder how many more they can take prisoner?

reply to post by Swills

Just a trivial thought. I know you decided to use the article headline, but wouldn't it have been just as accurate and more attention grabbing to say:

Palestine approves nearly 1,200 more settlement homes?

reply to post by charles1952


Probably not, have you watched the video in the OP? Either way, it's Israel's decision & their settlements to build.

reply to post by Swills

Dear Swills,

My apologies. I was relying solely on what you quoted in the OP.

Israel approved building nearly 1,200 more settlement homes Sunday and agreed to release 26 long-held Palestinian security prisoners — highlighting an apparent settlements-for-prisoners trade-off that got both sides back to peace talks after a five-year freeze.

That made me think it was mutually agreed upon in order to restart peace talks. Granted many people on both sides didn't like it, but it seemed to me that the leaders were saying, "We have to take our medicine and try something different."

If I misunderstood, I'd love to be corrected.

With respect,
Charles1952

reply to post by charles1952


That's the first but then there's the 2nd article linked,

Officials slam decision to build 1,200 units over Green Line; Erekat: Israel ‘determined to force us to leave negotiating table’

Palestinian officials on Sunday condemned Israel’s decision to build some 1,200 housing units beyond the Green Line but stopped short of threatening to abort the next round of talks, scheduled to begin Wednesday.

Israel’s move proved “it wasn’t serious about negotiations” and was rather trying “to topple the foundations of the solution, which is establishing a Palestinian state in the ’67 borders,” Israel Radio quoted Mohammad Shtayyeh, a Palestinian negotiator, as saying. “It’s a slap in the face of the Americans,” he said.

I find this conflict fascinating and appalling.

Just last night I watched an extremely interesting look into this subject done by Vice on youtube. They interviewed both sides and really gave a neutral look into this.

Video description:

Israeli settlers have been slowly nibbling away at Palestine's West Bank territory for four decades. 300,000 setllers now occupy outposts that range in size from plywood shacks to full-blown suburban housing complexes. Their abundance has grounded the much-ballyhooed two-state solution to a halt. VICE correspondent Simon Ostrovsky travels from Tel Aviv to the remote West Bank outposts where young Israelis squat for the sake of their heritage. But first, Simon pops in for some quick counter-terrorism training with a member of Israel's Special Forces, just in case.

Video Link



Complete Playlist Link

I feel very sad for the children that have to be raised within this environment.

reply to post by Swills

Dear Swills,

I hope you understand why I'm confused (and why other posters seem to think there was an agreement also).

If this was just a one-sided decision by Israel, why would they agree to release the 26 prisoners?

It seems just as reasonable to me to say that one or more of the Palestinian negotiators came out swearing up and down that Israel was terrible and was insulting the US. That might help to get the US on the Palestinian side.

I'm sorry, but it looks to me like a deal that nobody wanted to admit support for publicly, but in private figured that they had to accept.

With respect,
Charles1952

reply to post by charles1952


I see you're confused but feel free to read all the articles posted in the OP and perhaps do a search for more, because they are plenty more sources out there.

Here, this one may help you.

www.timesofisrael.com...

Israel’s housing minister has given final approval for the construction of 1,187 new housing units in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, just three days before Israeli-Palestinian peace talks are set to resume in Jerusalem.'

The chief PA negotiator is ready to leave negations because of these new settlements beyond the green line but they are trying to continue the talks but are extremely upset over it. Over 100 prisoners are set to be released.

The announcement of the new construction is an apparent tradeoff for Israel agreeing to release 104 long-held Palestinian prisoners in four installments over several months, with the first group of 26 to be freed Tuesday. A ministerial committee was set to convene on Sunday to identify those to be released first.

He fears Israel is overreaching and not taking these negotiations seriously.

Opposition head MK Shelly Yachimovitch (Labor) called the announcement a “poke in the eye” of Americans, Europeans, Palestinians, and peace-seeking Israelis, and said that Netanyahu needs to decide whether he heads a “government that strives for a political settlement or a government that strives to disrupt any possibility of such an agreement.”

“Although there is no practical meaning to the announcement,” she said, “it torpedoes the budding international recognition and support we have enjoyed because of the initiation of the talks.”

The dovish Peace Now activist group also criticized the announcement. “The promotion of over 1,000 housing units elucidates the importance of a settlement freeze and proves the government’s less than genuine intention to negotiate seriously,” the anti-settlement NGO said in a statement. “ A majority of these plans are outside the separation barrier, planned or built, and thus indicates there is no restraint on expansion into isolated areas.”

Israel is always looking to expand and create more housing, affordable housing, for it's citizens. It was only a couple of years ago Israel suffered mass protests and tent cities from its citizens because they are poor and without housing.

God willing, when the entity calling itself "Israel" collapses, all those homes will be occupied by Palestinians.
That would be poetic justice at its finest.

US: ‘Serious concerns’ over new Israeli settlements (Video)

The State Department on Monday criticized Israel for approving new settlements on disputed lands on the eve of resuming long-stalled peace talks.

Spokeswoman Marie Harf said the administration had shared its “serious” concerns with the Israeli government following Sunday's announcement of almost 1,200 new settlement homes. Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are set to resume talks in Jerusalem on Wednesday after a preliminary meeting hosted by Secretary of State John Kerry in Washington late last month.

“These announcements do come at a particularly sensitive time, and we have made our serious concerns about this recent announcement known to the government of Israel,” Harf said. “We do not accept the legitimacy of continued settlement activity.”

Harf stopped short of labeling the settlement activity “illegal” or of saying it undermines the peace process, as the European Union has. She also declined to say if the State Department had urged the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to put the construction on hold.

The new construction was announced Sunday by Housing Minister Uri Ariel, The Associated Press reported, while a government spokesman said the new homes are in areas Israel expects to retain in any peace deal.
Palestinian negotiator Mohammed Shtayyeh said the settlements could “sabotage” peace talks but did not threaten to leave the negotiating table.

Harf went on to praise Israel for agreeing to release 104 Palestinian prisoners, some of whom are accused of attacking Israelis.

“I would point out to you that the Israeli government is also taking a very difficult but necessary step as part of the peace negotiations to release a number of prisoners as well,” she said.

I'm glad the zionists have a little more Lebensraum.

There is nothing as satisfying as seeing an oppressed people become the oppressor and imitate theirs. What a world.

I'm happy that they are so successful at mimicking the Nazi party, Lebensraum, genetic superiority, oppression of populations, once shimon peres grows a goofy little moustache they'll have the whole kit'n'caboodle.