Palestinians: Netanyahu harming chance for peace by approving East Jerusalem construction
Netanyahu approves tenders for 238 homes east of Green Line; neighborhoods of Pisgat Ze'ev and Ramot included in nation-wide building plan despite controversy over construction in East Jerusalem.
By Nir HassonSenior Palestinian Authority officials on Friday accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of attempting to foil the peace process, after the premier approved tenders for construction of nearly 240 new housing units east of the Green Line.
"The Netanyahu government is determined to thwart any chance of resuming direct negotiations," said chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, hours after media sources reported that Israel was moving ahead for the first planned construction of this kind in months.
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Palestinian man works at a construction site in a West Bank settlement on Monday, September 27, 2010. |
| Photo by: AP |
"This is a crushing blow to the United States' efforts to prevent the peace process from collapsing," Erekat added. "Israel is turning its back to the Arab who gave the Americans a month to find a solution."
The Housing and Construction Ministry, along with the Israel Lands Administration, released its list of 3,500 newly approved tenders set for construction across the country.
The list includes 150 residential buildings in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramot and another 80 in Pisgat Ze'ev. While both neighborhoods are technically set in the northern part of the city, they are considered East Jerusalem due to their location east of the Green Line.
Another 1,100 apartments will be built in the city of Netanya, 480 in Ashdod and some 450 in Tel Aviv.
This was the first time a tender has been issued for East Jerusalem since U.S. Vice President Joe Biden's visit to Israel last March, when it was announced that 1,600 housing units would be built in the area despite the settlement freeze.
Israeli officials said they discussed the construction with the U.S. administration and cut the number of planned units to temper American displeasure.
The Palestinian Authority has insisted that it will not return to peace talks unless Israel ceases construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
An Israeli settlement slowdown imposed last November in the West Bank did not officially include east Jerusalem, which Israel considers part of its capital. But before Friday, Israel had quietly halted building there as well.
Netanyahu offered earlier this week to renew its temporary freeze in the West Bank if the Palestinians were to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, but the Palestinian leadership was prompt to reject the proposal as insufficient.
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The israeli/Palestinian conflict will only be solved by imposing a peace treaty followed by disengagement on the U.S. side. It does not make sense for America to have presence in many Arab countries and be friend to Israel at the same time. There is something wrong there and the current administration is getting to recognize it. It is never too late to disengage from full unquestionable support to Israel. Time has come for a real change for the sake of Free America.
Israel with its Mighty Army is too strong to make peace with weak unarmed Palestinians. Neither side can deliver anything viable to the table as far as Israel has all the Power in its hands. There is no pressure on Israel to do anything, so why should it? It has a strong army, to which Palestinians are not a threat, it has most of the land and a population, most of whom don't care for peace. Poor Palestinians have no coercive power.
No israel, No Palestine. One State Solution is the best for all. One Man, One Vote, Equality for all inhabitants. Equal Pay for Equal Work, Equal Water Rights. No Apartheid, No Segregation...A Very True Secular Democrac Let us call it: “State of Holy Land”.
"The Netanyahu government is determined to thwart any chance of resuming direct negotiations," said chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, hours after media sources reported that Israel was moving ahead for the first planned construction of this kind in months.
The Palestinians are just making noises as if you go to visit these places you will see they will never leave Israel and everyone knows it. The Palestinians had months for direct talks but didn't. All you Israeli haters please stop recreating history. Israel never stole land from the Palestinians, the area was Jordan.
Good job Bibi, keep it up. Just keep making more enemies and fasten the demise of Israel.
Someone remind me again how the Palestinians are related when east Jerusalem, which was ethnically cleansed of Jews in 48, was under the occupation of Transjordan who refused access to Jewish holy sites? Where are they in this picture?
The Pals already know that Jerusalem is not for sale and that these so called negotiations are doomed from the getgo. Same with the so called Pal right of return. I think they have a better chance of taking over the East Bank where they are the majority than taking over the West Bank.
Yet Israel made the gesture in good faith and was met with 'demand's, & 'threats', that were impossible to go along with, all this before any actual talks had begun Even so, Israel's restraint shows the need further building of Israel so that the presence of Jews in all of Israel isn't threatened or used as a poltical pawn again. If you want to restraign illegal buildings, begin with the illegal housing that muslims have built trying to deny Israel's ight to develop her own nation. The right to build is primary to any society and any nation. BUILD MORE!! That's the best response and answer to unreasonanble 'demand's that would mean Israel's demise.
Peace the Israeli way!
Palestinans should prepare for a long war and stop crying for god sake. Israel only understands war and violence so get with it already. As far as Saudi Arabia ,Jordan and Egypt , this leaders of this countries are agent for the Zionist aparthid system so do not trust them.
Peace for land, especially when it's not your land to begin with, seems like a reasonable. goal.
Netanyahu and company sense that President Obama will be perceived as a weakened president after the mid-term elections. Israel is playing with fire and making a gamble that it will surely loose. Knowing Prez. Obama, he will become more agressive with Israel and more assertive if he thinks that this would be a one term for him. Israel should work towards a last chance peace with the Palestinians or expect a bleak future.
President Obama, where are you?
The annexation of East Jerusalem was declared ILLEGAL by UNSC Resolution 252 (1968)of 21 May 1968 UNSC Resolution 267 (1969) of 3 July 1969 UNSC Resolution 271 (1969) of 15 September 1969, UNSC Resolution 298 (1971) of 25 September 1971, UNSC Resolution 465 (1980) of 1 March 1980, UNSC Resolution 476 (1980) of 30 June 1980 And yet, Israel defies the International Community.
Ask yourself if you would like to be the representative of any country (be it the Palestinians or the American people) trying to discuss or negotiate anything with Binyamin Netanyahu. You’d be wasting your breath wouldn’t you? Might as well talk to the hand...
its not recognized by Hamas which rules half of Palestinians.... not really an incentive is it? Perhaps if the Pals got their act together (they could start by rebelling against hamas which doesn't recognize isreal in any way), Bibi might feel a bit more compelled to go along with you know ... not wating your breate
Israel never recognized the Palestinian state, but asked for Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state. Israel is too strong to make peace with Palestinians, and Palestinians are too weak to make peace with Israel. Neither side can deliver anything viable to the table. There is no pressure on Israel to do anything, why should it? It has a strong army, to which Palestinians are not a threat, it has most of the land and a population, most of whom don't care. Palestinians have no coercive power.
the palestinians should waste no more time. ask for a palestinian statenow . don't wait for mr netanyahu, he will always deceive them.
hell, they don't even have a unified representation (let alone elected representatives). Until they are serious about their own asipirations as a nation, they will get nowhere on the unilateral or bilateral tracks.
They proved that they don't want peace.
evrey day this GOV coming with a new bomb shill ? i wonder why bother to talk with the PA .jewish state> and now with a new construction ? what kind of GOV we have ?? this GOV should resign .get rid of this coalition.ather wise we will never achive a peace with the PA ..this way of ring around the roses i have no more hope or faith with this GOV .to make peace .
Bibi et al made many mistakes over the last 2 years. But for Abbas to accuse Netanyahu of foiling talks, when he wasted close to a YEAR during which there was a settlement freeze takes real chutzpah.
Should we say it is positive, we will be in front of two problems: 1 - they recognize us... which foils our plan to make the world believe they hate us. 2 - We have to give them lands that belong to them... which foils our plan to grab land that G-D gave us (The Bible says so)! Let's just build instead of talking...
PA could end or at least hinder contruction in West Bank by making it a crime for Palestinians to do this work. They do not want it to stop.
PA could end or at least hinder contruction in West Bank by making it a crime for Palestinians to do this work. They do not want it to stop.
... and this is the only option... as long as this ridiculous stalemate exists, there can b no peace...
Another great idea from the Israeli Dept of Spite, well done boys, great place to pitch your tent! Provocation after provocation on and on, you people are incredible. Is there nowhere left in Israel to build that you must continually be taking land from those you ‘claim’ to want peaceful relations with? I'm just curious.
the arab league is putting pressure by "looking into" asking for recognition of a unilateral PA state. Bibi is putting pressure on "approving" plans for building (on the ground, there is still nothing happening). This is how the game is played. Its surprising the you (as most haaretz posts) only lokk at Bibi's moves,
ten months ticked by and teh palestinians refused to sit and negotiate. In teh end days of teh ten month construction freeze they said they would sit if another freeze was pout up. Tick, Tick, Tick... they ran teh clock and it appears that once agaion the palis have missed another final opportunity to have their state. Abbas is done for stick a fork in him. The peacetrain is gone from teh station it wont be back anytome soon. Plais are solely responsible for not taking advanatge of teeh ten month constructionfm reeze to make progress on teh talsk. This who mess devolves on to the palis shoulders. Abbas failed, his advisedrs failed
Netanyahu is talking peace and practicing aggression. "Actions speak louder than words." - Theodore Roosevelt
The US , UN , EU haven't the guts to put the necessary pressure on Israel . So why should they stop building ,or agree to a Palestinian state ,knowing they will never have to fear sanctions .....the world has surrendered and the Palestinians are the loosers
What's going to be the State Dept. weasel-word response for this one? "Disappointed", perhaps? Or are you going to stick with the tried-and-true "unhelpfull"?
The apartheid state is not interested in peace solution. Their policy is provoke Palestinians, than expand their territory by claiming they are under terrorist attack. Palestinians are NOT terrorists. They are freedom fighter against the tyrant regime called Israel.