Paper: Israel Report Shows Illegal Funds

[Scurrilous]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=736&e=1&u=/ap/20050130/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_outposts

<snip>

"A government-sponsored report shows Israeli settlers at more than 120 unauthorized hilltop outposts in the West Bank have received illegal state funding and services for 10 years, an Israeli newspaper said Sunday.

Asaf Shariv, an aide to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, refused to discuss the newspaper's claims, saying only that the outpost report would be released in the coming weeks."

<snip>

"The Yediot Ahronot newspaper quoted officials as saying the report, commissioned by Sharon in July, found that unauthorized outposts received government money and services even though they were never officially approved.

Almost all of Israel's ministries were involved in assisting the outposts, despite the fact that a succession of attorneys general demanded a halt to the funding, Yediot said."

[Scurrilous]

1. Peace Now: Settlement construction continued in 2004

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/534965.html

<snip>

"Settlement and settlement outpost construction continued in 2004, according to Peace Now's annual outpost report published Wednesday, despite the government's commitment to dismantle illegal outposts.

According to Peace Now's figures, there are currently 99 settlement outposts in the West Bank. The organization says three new settlement outposts were established in 2004, two outposts were evacuated, one outpost was evacuated and reconstructed, 12 outposts were significantly expanded, and in 15 outposts there is ongoing construction.

Regarding construction within the actual settlements themselves, Peace Now says that in 21 settlements construction is taking place outside the defined boundaries of the settlements. This construction is seemingly in contradiction of the government's commitment to restrict construction to the existing built-up areas and thus limiting settlement expansion.

According to Peace Now, there are currently 3,5000 housing units under construction throughout the territories. In 2004, tenders were issued for the construction of 992 housing units, with most of the construction occuring in the larger settlements: Ma'aleh Adumim, Beitar Ilit, Modi'in Ilit, Alfei Menasheh, Adam, and the area south of Jerusalem."