Last update - 01:33 28/10/2003
U.S. calls Karnei Shomron building plans `provocation'; warns of cut in loan backing
By Aluf Benn
The U.S. administration sent a vehement message of reservations about the construction of 153 new housing units in Karnei Shomron, which was made public last week via tenders issued for the job. In the message to Jerusalem, U.S. officials termed the construction project "provocation." The separation fence is meant to pass to the east of Karnei Shomron, a settlement far from the Green Line.
The administration warned that the impression could be formed in Washington that Israel is not keeping its commitments regarding settlement construction, which would lead the administration to deduct the costs of the separation fence from the loan guarantees. The State Department is already considering cutting hundreds of millions of dollars from the guarantees.
Most of the Housing Ministry tenders for the territories in recent years were in the large settlements near the Green Line. Israel usually gave advance notice to the Americans about construction plans, and the Americans responded with lukewarm reservations. In recent months Israel has reached understandings with the administration about a freeze on construction in the settlements, based on the road map. According to those understandings, Israel will not undertake new construction outside existing built-up areas in the settlements.
Meanwhile, the American airport security team that came to examine the separation fence's route - and how it is supposed to protect Ben-Gurion Airport - completed its field study and left for the U.S.