UN official: Gilo expansion threatens Middle East peace
UN undersecretary general tells Security Council settlement freeze will enable progress in peace talks.
By DPA Tags: Israel settlements UN Security Council Israel news Middle East peaceIsrael's decision to expand the settlement at Gilo in East Jerusalem is an impasse to the Middle East peace process that must be overcome, a UN official told the Security Council on Tuesday.
Israel decided last week to add 900 housing units to Gilo settlement on the outskirts of East Jerusalem, a decision met with protests from the UN as well as world capitals.
In the past month, Israel has demolished 17 houses and displaced 99 Palestinians, half of them children, said UN undersecretary general Haile Menkerios for political affairs.
Menkerios said the Israeli government has switched to restraining expansion of the settlements while it is under pressure to freeze them to allow progress in the roadmap to settle its conflict with the Palestinians.
He said in a monthly report to the 15-nation council that tensions between Israel and the Palestinians continued in the past month with fresh security incidents. A total of 73 Palestinians were injured and 300 others arrested in clashes with the Israelis in the West Bank.
Clashes in East Jerusalem resulted in injuries to 24 Palestinians and nine Israeli security personnel. Israel also has closed Palestinian institutions in East Jerusalem, which is contrary to the roadmap for peace worked out by the UN, the European Union, the United States and Russia.
The roadmap called for a new Palestinian state living next to Israel in peace. Several political and security steps have to be fulfilled before such a state can be formed.
Israeli government officials reported to the UN that arms smuggling has continued into Gaza Strip and rockets with increased power have been fired into Israel from Gaza.
"We remain worried about the longer-term consequences of the blockade of the Gaza Strip, particularly in terms of deteriorating public infrastructure, environmental degradation, and the destruction of livelihoods," Menkerios said.
Israel's blockade of Gaza has drastically reduced the flow of imported humanitarian goods and daily essentials for Gazans, a situation that can worsen in winter, the UN said.
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The according to your response, ALL of Israel is "occupied land"--just like Australia. Maybe the UN should order Australia to freeze all building in all of Australia--after all, that's also "occupied land", stolen from the Aborigines. Gilo is on the Israeli side of the "Green Line", and, as such, is part of Israel's sovereign territory--something you wish to deny. Do you also deny Israel's right to build in Tel Aviv or Haifa? It wouldn't surprise me.
Much more than nothing. Btw, 1945 was not 1745
O Gilo ! Gilo ! Where art thou ? For your sake there's going to be a WW 3 ! One way of preventing WW 3, Is to Piss on that,those UN officials ! The UN itself,with their crooked policies are are harbingers of tragedy !
loking after the Settlers interests more than they look after ours in Israel Proper. The majority of Israelis are for Peace and security and would like that our Goverment fight our battle at the table of negociations with our Palestinian neighbours, and in my opinion they deserve their freedom as much as us, when we were caged in some ghettoes.
Worldpeace depends on some houses in GILO and a few "settlements", according to the international MANTRA. "Stop building in GILO and peace will descend upon you". These people havn't stopped believing in "father Christmas". Problem: This MANTRA isn't innocent at all. It's an "international delegelize probe" against Israel and they all know it.
MD: "Gilo is not a "settlement"!" According to the entire world (minus Israel, of course) it most definitely is, because it is an Israeli colony built on Israeli-occupied territory. MD: "Gilo is a suburb in south-west Jerusalem" Which is "Israeli-occupied territory". MD: "and is not and never has been a 'settlement'. " It was created inside Israeli-occupied territory by the Israeli govt for the exclusive use of Israeli citizens. Of course it is a "settlement". MD: "The land was purchased from its previous owners in 1944 and registered in the Land Registry" That's "property ownership", not "sovereign territory". MD: "The UN might as well tell the US that building in Georgetown outside Washington DC is "illegal"." The USA has undisputed sovereignty over Washington DC. NOBODY recognizes Israel's sovereignty over East Jerusalem. MD: "Don`t these people know how to read a map?" Yep, but unlike you they understand what it is they are looking at.
disarm Hizbolla beore they come up with all these ideas for world peace.
"Israeli government officials reported to the UN that arms smuggling has continued into Gaza Strip and rockets with increased power have been fired into Israel from Gaza." Page 1 of the Zionist handbook: When all else fails, as it surely must, lie, lie, lie. Then lie again.
Gilo is a suburb in south-west Jerusalem and is not and never has been a "settlement". The land was purchased from its previous owners in 1944 and registered in the Land Registry. The UN might as well tell the US that building in Georgetown outside Washington DC is "illegal". Don't these people know how to read a map?
Many foreigners have houses in Switzerland, pay taxes there etc, but this case is something else.
The mistake of seeing Gilo as part of Israel is equally threatening.
John, get honest. your are no political virgin- your statements reek with ulterior motives. If, and a big if, the west bank pals declare total peace with Israel- none of this wishy washy, double talk, If they halt children's brainwashing, if they put Israel on their textbook maps, If they cease to boycott any goods make by Jews and arabs, if they allow jews to live in their presence the way arabs live among the jews, and if they simply did not internally proclaim their ultimate goal of destroying Israel, one concession at a time, then you might be able to say that Israel could be flexible on her borders. But I know and if you choose not to lie through your teeth, you know, this is not the way it is here. Secure borders will make friendly neighbors. We played stupid for the first decade of Oslo when the arabs never intended to make peace. You would want the same security that Israel demands for itself. FAce it, the arabs lost the wars they started and no country would ever give back what Israel has given them in the name of peace. We have not even addressed Gaza where they are at war with Israel in creed and deed. you speak with forked tongue and forked brain and the UN and its impotent peace makers are only empowering the arabs to keep the war chant growing louder and louder. why not visit Israel and see what secure borders and hills and valleys are all about. quite different from your turf.