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Last update - 17:27 23/12/2007
Israel expands plans to construct new homes in E. J'lem, W. Bank
By The Associated Press
Tags: West Bank, east Jerusalem 

Israel has expanded plans to build new homes in a disputed East Jerusalem neighborhood as well as in a nearby settlement, according to the Housing Ministry's proposed budget for 2008.

Israel angered Palestinians and drew criticism from the United States earlier this month when it announced plans to build 307 new apartments in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Har Homa.

H
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owever, the proposed budget includes funding for the construction of 500 apartments in Har Homa as well as 240 apartments in the nearby settlement of Ma'aleh Adumim.

Israel intends to hold on to Ma'aleh Adumim, home to more than 30,000 settlers, in any final peace deal with the Palestinians.

Minister for Jerusalem Affairs Rafi Eitan told Army Radio that Israel never promised to halt construction within the municipal borders of Jerusalem, whose eastern sector Israel annexed in 1967 after capturing it in the Six-Day War.

"Har Homa is an integral, organic part of Jerusalem," Eitan said. "No promise was ever given to anyone that we wouldn't continue to build in Har Homa, because it's within the municipal borders of Jerusalem."

"Ma'aleh Adumim," Eitan added, "is an integral part of Jerusalem in any peace accord."

Ma'aleh Adumim is one of three settlement blocs that Israel expects to retain in any peace accord. The Palestinians have expressed willingness to consider swapping West Bank land retained by Israel for sovereign Israeli territory.

Abbas alleged that the construction projects undermined new peace efforts.

"The negotiations are facing obstacles," Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told members of his Fatah Party. "We can't understand these settlement activities at a time we're talking about final-status negotiations."

Chief Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qureia said Friday that Israel must halt all settlement building before final status talks launched last month can continue in earnest.

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      1.   Housing plan is OK. 10:11  |  Vital 23/12/07
      2.   Israels "peace-message" for Christmas 10:13  |  Swiss (Dino) 23/12/07
      3.   US and EU Should Take Action Not Just Criticize 11:14  |  Markus 23/12/07
      4.   This was planned ten years ago 11:34  |  Israeli 23/12/07
      5.   # 5 If you remember 10 years ago there were some 11:46  |  Kris 23/12/07
      6.   #2 and other critics - The P.A.s message for Christmas 11:55  |  redmike 23/12/07
      7.   Israels Minister for Jerusalem Affairs Rafi Eitan 12:00  |  Sammy 23/12/07
      8.   Well said, Sammy 12:20  |  Joe Sittizen 23/12/07
      9.   Build it all! 12:20  |  Petra 23/12/07
      10.   buiding in Har Homah 12:44  |  Harry Katz-Pollak 23/12/07
      11.   Suicidal plan, an existential threat to Israel 13:20  |  Ivar 23/12/07
      12.   # 6 redmike 13:23  |  Swiss (Dino) 23/12/07
      13.   Yes 13:24  |  Yes 23/12/07
      14.   # 11 Ivar with respect may I add 13:45  |  Petra 23/12/07
      15.   Petra, 6, deluded: The Temple Mount is NOT an issue 14:13  |  Ivar 23/12/07
      16.   building in Israel 14:15  |  Hilda 23/12/07
      17.   To Ivar. Houses not only for Jews in E. Jerusalem. 14:32  |  Vital 23/12/07
      18.   #12 Swiss (Dino) 14:43  |  MR 23/12/07
      19.   Exactly Ivar... 14:52  |  David James Vickery 23/12/07
      20.   #12 - sadly, I see that you are not a serious `player` 15:06  |  redmike 23/12/07
      21.   Vital, 17, means coordinating any Jlm. building with PA 15:27  |  Ivar 23/12/07
      22.   4. it was illegal trhen and its still illegal now 15:33  |  Int.Law 23/12/07
      23.   #16 Hilda. You sound like an old worn out record 15:40  |  Sammy 23/12/07
      24.   existensial threat 16:11  |  sean 23/12/07
      25.   more APARTHEID HOUSING ??? 16:14  |  POP 23/12/07
      26.   longer than that 16:18  |  Kacey Mathew 23/12/07
      27.   #9 petra-fied of 1 state solution. 16:21  |  Labhras 23/12/07
      28.   Not a good signal to peace! 16:31  |  Beno 23/12/07
      29.   Jerusalem is Capital of Jewish State 16:34  |  Brod 23/12/07
      30.   # 10 Harry Katz-Pollak...Nevermind Antisemitism...WE HAVE A RIGHT 16:40  |  Kathy 23/12/07
      31.   Petra #9, #14, Hilda #16 Right on the mark 16:55  |  Brod 23/12/07
      32.   HAVE NUKES NOW, ISRAEL WILL LISTEN 17:45  |  indrajaya 23/12/07
      33.   Stop Housing development in Washington D.C.!!! 17:51  |  Ben-Gurion 23/12/07
      34.   29. Brod the dispora zionist in USA 18:08  |  haven`t you heard? 23/12/07
      35.   Stop Jlm. housing development in Washington D.C.!!! 18:15  |  Ivar 23/12/07
      36.   Israeli government members need some education 18:20  |  Tosefta 23/12/07
      37.   IVAR: No Peace Partner, wait another generation 18:39  |  Ben-Gurion 23/12/07
      38.   "36 Tosefta 18:50  |  Labhras 23/12/07
      39.   Saner minds (Labhras #38) 19:08  |  Tosefta 23/12/07
      40.   US News has already picked this up on CNN 19:13  |  POP 23/12/07
      41.   Swiss (Dino) 19:19  |  Rozz 23/12/07
      42.   # 34 haven`t you heard?OH YES WE HAVE,FOR EONS.MAKES NO DIFFERENC 19:28  |  Kathy 23/12/07
      43.   Building in Jerusalem 19:31  |  Christian 23/12/07
      44.   42. Kathy in Zion? try to pay attention 19:42  |  Law 23/12/07
      45.   #23 Sammy 19:55  |  MR 23/12/07
      46.   # 18 MR 20:49  |  Swiss (Dino) 23/12/07
      47.   # 20 redmike and "big players" 21:00  |  Swiss (Dino) 23/12/07
      48.   there was an old jew named isaiah/whose vision than ours was high 21:18  |  uzi galil- tavor 23/12/07
      49.   #4 Israeli, you have chutzpah! 21:38  |  Ben Alofs 23/12/07
      50.   Israel once more demonstartes that it cannot be trusted 21:41  |  Jozef 23/12/07
      51.   #45 MR 21:42  |  Labhras 23/12/07
      52.   Arabs giving Jews Orders in Judea 21:57  |  Chick 23/12/07
      53.   #46 Swiss Dino 22:22  |  Labhras 23/12/07
      54.   #52 Chick in Chickcago 22:27  |  Labhras 23/12/07
      55.   DON`T GIVE IN TO ISLAM AND NATIONS PLAN TO DESTROY ISRAEL AND JEW 22:29  |  Bill 23/12/07
      56.   Israel expands plans... 22:33  |  hank 23/12/07
      57.   52. chicky in chy town 22:33  |  sincerly 23/12/07
      58.   56. dear hank the dispore zionist in Canada 23:03  |  fact 23/12/07
      59.   hank in canada 23:09  |  Labhras 23/12/07
      60.   # 44 Law...PLEASE! I DO NOT TRUST LAWYERS 23:09  |  Kathy 23/12/07
      61.   # 53 Labhras 23:25  |  Swiss (Dino) 23/12/07
      62.   # 41 Rozz 23:26  |  Swiss (Dino) 23/12/07
      63.   Hank 23:35  |  Jacob 23/12/07
      64.   Housing Plan for Jerusalem 23:37  |  Daniel Alef 23/12/07
      65.   Harry and his false arguments 23:58  |  Ben Alofs 23/12/07
      66.   More of Same 00:29  |  DoubleClick 24/12/07
      67.   Confidence Building Measures 00:34  |  DoubleClick 24/12/07
      68.   # 56 hank Israel expands plans 01:30  |  Kathy 24/12/07
      69.   #61 Swiss Dino 01:35  |  Labhras 24/12/07
      70.   # 52 Chick Arabs giving Jews Orders in Judea 01:37  |  Kathy 24/12/07
      71.   Kathy 01:55  |  poncie ponce 24/12/07
      72.   Kathy # 60 01:58  |  poncie ponce 24/12/07
      73.   to #54 History does not only operate by signed agreements 02:02  |  Chick 24/12/07
      74.   Kathy #30, #40,#60 02:04  |  Brod 24/12/07
      75.   60. who cares what you think kathy hssy fit 02:07  |  get real 24/12/07
      76.   Expension No longer needed 02:30  |  David King 24/12/07
      77.   Ben Alofs.... 03:03  |  Teresa-Maria (Tess) 24/12/07
      78.   Build Israel build, Grow Israel grow in Israel`s Capital 03:56  |  Mark Hamil 24/12/07
      79.   Jerusalem is our eternal capital! 03:59  |  Shalom 24/12/07
      80.   Apartments available in Jerusalem 04:49  |  Shekel 24/12/07
      81.   Re: 80 05:24  |  David 24/12/07