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A construction site of a new neighborhood in the settlement of Maaleh Adumim on the outskirts of Jerusalem, photographed in November 2007. (AP)
Last update - 19:38 18/04/2008
Boim: 'Natural growth' reason for 100 new settlement homes
By Nadav Shragai, Haaretz Correspondent and News Agencies
Tags: Peace Now, settlements 

Housing and Construction Minister Ze'ev Boim on Friday dismissed Peace Now's criticism of a plan to build 100 new housing units in West Bank settlements, noting that the plan was aimed at providing an answer to the settlements' natural growth.

"Peace Now's ideology is not new, and from their point of view construction in Jerusalem, in its municipal boundaries, is also 'settlement building,'" Boim said, referring to Israel's largest anti-settlement group, which promotes a platform of land-for-peace.

The minister added: "The current construction is intended to provide an answer to the internal needs of natural growth."
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Boim spoke after the publication by his ministry on Friday of tenders for 48 new homes in the northern West Bank settlement of Ariel and 52 more in the settlement of Elkana.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas denounced the move on Friday, saying Israeli settlement expansion is a key obstacle to progress in peace talks.

Abbas told the Arab TV satellite station Al Arabiya on Friday that settlement "is an obstacle, a main obstacle."

He says it will become apparent by the summer whether a deal with Israel is possible.

Senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said that "these plans and resolutions, which really undermine the peace process," adding that Abbas would discuss the issue during White House talks with Bush next week.

Speaking of the plan, Boim also explained that "52 housing units in Elkana are switching out old housing units which were erected when the settlement was first established [some 25 years ago]."

According to the minister, the Defense Ministry approved the construction of the homes in Ariel months ago, which in any event are situated within already existing neighborhoods. Both areas are considered parts of the settlement "blocs" which Israel intends on holding on to in any final-status deal with the Palestinians.

Boim said Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government never has promised to abstain from construction in the blocs.

The advertisement on Friday came just days after settlers and defense officials said new construction in the West Bank would be announced soon.

The building comes in return for the recent voluntary evacuation of two
unauthorized outposts that held less than ten mobile homes, the settlers and defense officials said.

The Peace Now movement fiercly attacked the construction plans. "The government is destroying the chances of reaching a settlment with the Palestinians and is turning Annapolis [conference] into an irrelevant joke," the group said, referring to a U.S.-hosted regional peace summit held last year in Maryland.

The Yesha Council of Settlements, meanwhile, has called on the government to approve constuction of 1,000 new housing units, rather than just the 100.

"Because of the housing crisis in many of the communities in Judea and Samaria, many of the younger generation are forced to find other housing," it said.

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      1.   The building of Ersatz Israel 10:57  |  Clickfool 18/04/08
      2.   Check back in ten years 11:01  |  Natallie Durson 18/04/08
      3.   Whats the big deal? This provides 1000`s of jobs for Arab worker 11:35  |  spade 18/04/08
      4.   Good news 11:37  |  Happy Yid 18/04/08
      5.   With More Than 5% Annual Growth, We Need THOUSANDS More 11:56  |  Yishai Kohen 18/04/08
      6.   No "two states solution" 12:11  |  Didier Spaier 18/04/08
      7.   What does `Uncle Tom` Abbas have to say? 12:35  |  examiner 18/04/08
      8.   Iran can help remove the illegal settlers from the west bank 13:04  |  Aounist 18/04/08
      9.   New Westbank construction 13:19  |  Chris 18/04/08
      10.   Neither Israeli government nor Pals listening to Peace Now 13:29  |  Sam 18/04/08
      11.   Olmert certainly knows how to turn Abbas 14:05  |  examiner 18/04/08
      12.   The Aounist: is anxiously waiting for WWWIII 14:05  |  Avi 18/04/08
      13.   Natural growth for Jews, but not Arabs 14:50  |  Palestinian Brit 18/04/08
      14.   No new construction at all? 14:57  |  Lynn 18/04/08
      15.   The settlers are evolving 15:01  |  Fake Tosefta 18/04/08
      16.   Land for Peace? Remember Jericho and Gaza First? 15:12  |  Straight Talk 18/04/08
      17.   So let me get this straight 15:17  |  Joe Frazier 18/04/08
      18.   The "natural growth" ttravesty... 15:24  |  Esther 18/04/08
      19.   Ask yourself Westerners.Why aren`t Pals making peace? 15:32  |  Sam 18/04/08
      20.   Re Happy #2 15:37  |  Esther 18/04/08
      21.   Natural Growth? 16:09  |  DoubleClick 18/04/08
      22.   Why is it that 16:11  |  steve from raleigh 18/04/08
      23.   Their Time will Come 16:15  |  aaron 18/04/08
      24.   israel ostacle to peace 16:15  |  sam i am 18/04/08
      25.   BUT ANNAPOLIS IS A JOKE AND 16:55  |  ALP 18/04/08
      26.   Jews and Samaritans are the aborigines of Judea and Samaria 16:59  |  Haldrik 18/04/08
      27.   Palestinian Muslims are unable to run a state at this time 17:00  |  Haldrik 18/04/08
      28.   Yishai #5: "With More Than 5% Annual Growth..." 17:27  |  Esther 18/04/08
      29.   building the land 17:27  |  Yohanan 18/04/08
      30.   boim for prime minister 17:42  |  harzion 18/04/08
      31.   To Avi #3: Israel should decide between a peace deal or a WW3 war 17:43  |  Aounist 18/04/08
      32.   Sam I Am Has A Good Point, New Building Not An Obstacle 18:17  |  JP 18/04/08
      33.   Aounist, Its Arabs Delaying, Not Israel - Just Ask Hamas, PLO 18:33  |  JP 18/04/08
      34.   #1 - Poor Clickfool, Word Game R No Substitute For a Real Opinion 18:36  |  JP 18/04/08
      35.   #24 What are you talking about 18:45  |  aaron 18/04/08
      36.   Palestinians Painting Themselves Into a Corner 19:15  |  Jason 18/04/08
      37.   Question to fair minded People. IF 19:18  |  Hamza 18/04/08
      38.   Mr Abbas should not waist time in declaring UDI 19:23  |  Kalidur Rahman 18/04/08
      39.   QUIZZ of the day.How many PM there are in this Government ? 19:32  |  Coln Fitpatrict. 18/04/08
      40.   Natual Growth of Pals= HOUSE DEMOLITION. 19:38  |  Kamel 18/04/08
      41.   Here We Go Again 19:45  |  Clark 18/04/08
      42.   Answer to Hamza from a Fair-Minded Person 20:18  |  JP 18/04/08
      43.   This isn`t about natural growth it is about.... 20:49  |  Deborah 18/04/08
      44.   Two views of "Justice" 21:17  |  Scharker Yid 18/04/08
      45.   Straight talk - Land for peace? 21:22  |  Palestinian Brit 18/04/08
      46.   Aounist-offering Israel choice of suicide or destruction by war 22:21  |  Sam 18/04/08
      47.   apartheid growth continues 00:22  |  tripleclick 19/04/08
      48.   Show me any other city in the world that freezes construction 00:27  |  Gili 19/04/08
      49.   #41 - Palestinian Brit - No deal, perhaps... 00:31  |  JP 19/04/08
      50.   "Natural Growth" is Moving Back to Israel 00:43  |  Lee Kaplan 19/04/08
      51.   Abbas is still talking when Israel is expanding 00:51  |  BOBBY 19/04/08
      52.   Hamza # 37 It`s Much More Complicated Than That 01:07  |  Jeff Northridge 19/04/08
      53.   Anchluss? 03:13  |  Spanish 19/04/08
      54.   Re Gili #148 08:30  |  Esther 19/04/08
      55.   Don`t stop to expand keep going 10:17  |  Alex 19/04/08
      56.   Thanks for the chuckle, JP # 34 12:41  |  Clickfool 19/04/08
      57.   zionist deception and lies... 12:42  |  eric 19/04/08
      58.   BUILD! BUILD! BUILD!! Unrestrained development 12:59  |  Magnify 19/04/08
      59.   ONE WAY Natural growth! 15:48  |  Mary 19/04/08
      60.   To #46 Sam: The arabs can deploy nuclear on israel`s borders 16:17  |  Aounist 19/04/08
      61.   Growth of illegal settlements is unnatural 17:05  |  John 19/04/08
      62.   "Dear Condi" 17:23  |  Mark Lincoln 19/04/08
      63.   This is an insult to everybody`s intelligence 19:02  |  Jozef 19/04/08
      64.   There is a huge difference.... 19:21  |  bbl 19/04/08
      65.   natural growth-lebensraum 06:38  |  j 20/04/08
      66.   For Jozef # 63 10:05  |  Clickfool 20/04/08
      67.   For bbl # 64 10:07  |  Clickfool 20/04/08
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