Israel plans to build nearly 900 new homes in contested east Jerusalem

[Purveyor]

JERUSALEM: Israel disclosed plans on Sunday to build nearly 900 new homes for Jews in disputed east Jerusalem, adding new turmoil to peace talks already troubled by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's corruption probe.

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, a leading voice of Palestinian moderation, accused Israel of "trampling" on peacemaking, which resumed just six months ago after a seven-year breakdown.

Housing Minister Zeev Boim notified Israel's Cabinet at its weekly meeting that he planned to build 763 apartments in Pisgat Zeev and 121 in Har Homa, large Jewish neighborhoods Israel built after capturing and annexing Jerusalem's eastern sector following the 1967 Mideast war.

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The contentious construction "strips the political process of any meaningful content," Fayyad told The Associated Press. "I am really at a loss trying to really find reasons to be encouraged or optimistic."

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas planned to lodge a "major protest" with Olmert when the two meet Monday, ahead of the Israeli leader's three-day trip to Washington.

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http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/06/01/africa/ME-GEN-Israel-Palestinians.php

[dipsydoodle]

1. Will they have a bullseye painted on them ?

This is just asking for trouble.

[notfullofit]

2. Jerusalem Construction Clouds Peace Talks

"There is no contradiction whatsoever between this building and moving forward on the peace process," Olmert's spokesman Mark Regev said. "Israel never committed itself to a freeze in Jerusalem. On the contrary, we always said that a construction freeze in Jerusalem was unrealistic and impossible. Jerusalem has a dynamic population with growing needs."

Regev said there was an "international consensus" that in any final status arrangement, the Jewish neighborhoods of Jerusalem would remain part of Israel, and building in those neighborhoods in no way undermined the peace process.

Saying that he doubted the issue would take up much time in the Olmert-Abbas talks, Regev said, "There is no doubt that the Palestinians understand this issue more than their public pronouncements would lead one to believe."

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1212041449894&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

[Sezu]

4. Gee. There;'s TWO sides to these negotiations?

Imagine that.

[Scurrilous]

3. US renews opposition to new Israeli settlements

On eve of Olmert's visit to Washington, White House spokeswoman says Israel's plan to build some 900 more houses in east Jerusalem 'exacerbates the tensions when it comes to the negotiations with the Palestinians'. UN chief: Continued settlement construction is contrary to international law, Annapolis process

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3551113,00.html

<snip>

"The White House warned Israel Monday against plans to build 884 more houses in east Jerusalem, saying building such settlements "exacerbates the tensions" with the Palestinians.

"Our position on the settlements is that, you know, we don't believe that any more settlements should be built. And we know that it exacerbates the tensions when it comes to the negotiations with the Palestinians," said spokeswoman Dana Perino.

Two days before US President George W. Bush was to meet at the White House with embattled Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Perino added that the Middle East peace was "bigger than just any one person."

"It's the Israeli people and the Palestinian people that are working towards this goal, and so it's bigger than just any one person," spokeswoman Dana Perino said, as Olmert faced growing calls to resign over corruption charges.

But "as far as I know, the Israelis and the Palestinians have continued to have talks in good faith while all of the discussion in the press has gone on in Israel," she said when asked about the impact of Olmert's political woes.

The prime minster, 62, is accused of unlawfully accepting large sums of money from a US millionaire before becoming premier in 2006, although he denies any wrongdoing."