Israel’s government has approved the construction of new settler homes in illegal settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem on Friday, less than 24 hours after the UN General Assembly approved upgraded status for Palestine.
The government approve 3,000 new homes in the settlements, though they did not stipulate how many will be in each settlement, reports Al Jazeera .
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also reportedly plans to “promote planning and construction” in the E-1 area between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumum — a major settlement that is currently home to about 40,000 people.
The Obama administration has tried to discourage Israel from building in the E-1 area, because it would cut off East Jerusalem from the surrounding Arab town, further carving up the West Bank, which is already riven by Israeli settlements and military checkpoint.
Bloomberg BusinessWeek notes that peace talks between Israel aurnd the Palestinian Authority ended in September 2010 when Netanyahu refused to extend a 10-month building freeze in the West Bank Jewish settlements. PA President Mahmoud Abbas has said that he will not return to negotiations until all construction halts.
Israel’s call for new settlement construction also comes after UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stated yesterday, “Continued settlement activity in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is contrary to international law [and] must cease.”
Jonathan Spyer, a political scientist at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzyliya, stated that the upcoming Israeli elections, which are scheduled for January 22, are likely one factor for approving the new settlement homes. Spyer stated:
“Elections time in Israel is a time for flag waving and gestures. Making this a direct response to the UN vote would be a very silly and childish approach.”
Do you think that Israel’s announcement about new settlement homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem is a response to the UN vote on Thursday?