| Israel to Expand Biggest West Bank Settlement | |
| By Mark Heinrich JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel has approved 600 new housing units for the West Bank 's biggest Jewish settlement despite an understanding with Washington not to expand enclaves on occupied land, political sources said Monday. But no building tenders have been published since the decision two months ago and security sources said the United States , Israel 's main ally and key mediator in its conflict with Palestinians, would be consulted before construction began. The plan would add homes to Maale Adumim, a sprawling, suburban-style settlement with 30,000 people. Located a few km (miles) east of Jerusalem , it straddles the mid-section of territory that Palestinians seek for a viable independent state | |
| Political sources conceded the plan could breach an understanding with the United States not to erect more homes beyond existing built-up zones in West Bank settlements. Palestinian officials condemned the move as a violation of a U.S.-backed "road map" peace plan which mandates a freeze on settlement expansion to help make way for Palestinian statehood in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. "This is in total defiance of the road map ... and total defiance of ( U.S. ) President (George W.) Bush's vision. Settlements and peace do not go together," Palestinian Negotiations Minister Saeb Erekat said. | |
| Political sources conceded the plan could breach an understanding with the United States not to erect more homes beyond existing built-up zones in West Bank settlements. Palestinian officials condemned the move as a violation of a U.S.-backed "road map" peace plan which mandates a freeze on settlement expansion to help make way for Palestinian statehood in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. "This is in total defiance of the road map ... and total defiance of ( U.S. ) President (George W.) Bush's vision. Settlements and peace do not go together," Palestinian Negotiations Minister Saeb Erekat said. "We will discuss this new neighborhood with the Americans," said an Israeli security official of the decision, acknowledged by a Defense Ministry spokesman without further comment. The year-old "road map," which also requires a halt to Palestinian militant attacks on Israelis, has been stymied by persistent violence on both sides. SHARON PLAN HAS BUSH'S ENDORSEMENT In April, Bush assured Sharon that Israel could retain some West Bank land under any future peace deal with Palestinians if the Israeli premier carries out his unilateral plan to withdraw from Gaza next year. Sharon 's blueprint to "disengage" from a bloody stalemate with Palestinians would evacuate all 8,000 Jews from Gaza , along with four of 120 settlements in the West Bank . But "disengagement" also entails keeping some West Bank settlement blocs, including Maale Adumim, with the bulk of the 240,000 Jews on land Israel took in the 1967 Middle East war. Palestinians, in revolt for almost four years, see the right-wing Sharon 's "disengagement" as a ruse to dismember territory that would be heart of the state they seek. Political sources said the 600 new homes would extend Maale Adumim eastwards, which could rupture direct trade and transport routes between the northern and southern West Bank . A U.S. diplomatic official pointed to the road map's settlement freeze clause and declined further comment, saying this could come from the State Department soon. The Bush administration has already expressed dismay at the Israeli government's failure to tear down dozens of unauthorized settlement outposts erected during Sharon 's tenure since 2001. Israeli officials say legal actions filed by settlers have bogged down attempts to remove outposts. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=586&e=6&u=/nm/20040802/wl_nm/mideast_settlement_dc Related Article: The Guardian Related Article Links: FMEP July Settlement Reportclick here... MidEast Web: a map of the settlements and the Palestine/Israel history. Palestine Monitor: a fact sheet on Israeli settlements B'Tselem, an Israeli human rights organization Jewish Virtual Library: A Jewish Virtual library on settlements. | |
Wednesday, July 07, 2004
Israel to Expand Biggest West Bank Settlement
Tuesday, July 06, 2004
The Wall
Hi, the Israeli high court ruled for the IDF (Israeli Defense FOrces) to give back 30K's of land in E. Jerusalem that was to cut into some villages and isolate the people more than they already are. strange.
there is about 730 k's more of land that has been taken from the West Bank. what about that?
The true test is the Court's failure to save from destruction the lives of 13,000 Palestinians in the northern West Bank who now live imprisoned in their villages having to take permits in order to live in their villages and houses and it failed to save 73,000 farmers in 51 villages from losing their agricultural lands and only source of income. More importantly, this is the very same court that approved the demolition of hundreds of houses in Rafah last May, causing thousands of already refugee Palestinians to become refugees for the second time.
yeah. go figure. alla vita...this is..the life.
and...Yesterday, the IDF started construction on the "Apartheid Wall" on the eastern side of Anata; Occupation plans are to turn Anata into a canton linking between the northern and southern Palestinian ghettos which will be created by the Wall. Anata will be surrounded by the Wall from all sides, together with the Shu'fat Refugee Camp and Dahiyat Assalam. Occupation Forces are also constructing a bypass road that will go from Anatot settlement and link with the new highway 45 leading to the Jordan Valley. Another road will connect Za'im village with Anata and link the Wall's southern ghetto (consisting of southeast Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Hebron) to the northern ghetto. Large areas of Anata's land will be confiscated or destroyed in the process of constructing Walls and bypass roads in this area.
Anata is located northeast of Jerusalem and has a population of 15,000 Palestinians, in addition to another 12,000 who are living in Dahyat Asslam, a residential area built on Anata's lands. According to Occupation Forces, Anata is designated to be part of the West Bank, while Dahyat Asslam, and Shufat refugee camp are considered to be part of Jerusalem, despite the fact that there is no clear boundary between them. For example, part of one house may be considered 'West Bank' according to IDF, while other parts of the same house would be considered to be in 'Jerusalem'.
The Wall in this area will isolate Dahiyat Assalam and the Shu'fat Refugee Camp, where more than thirty thousand Jerusalemites live. By isolating these people, it will facilitate the Israeli goal of reducing the number of Palestinians in Jerusalem.
related links here>>>> http://www.stopthewall.org/ http://www.pengon.org/
http://www.arij.org/
so there ya go. thats the bright story for the day!
ciao!
there is about 730 k's more of land that has been taken from the West Bank. what about that?
The true test is the Court's failure to save from destruction the lives of 13,000 Palestinians in the northern West Bank who now live imprisoned in their villages having to take permits in order to live in their villages and houses and it failed to save 73,000 farmers in 51 villages from losing their agricultural lands and only source of income. More importantly, this is the very same court that approved the demolition of hundreds of houses in Rafah last May, causing thousands of already refugee Palestinians to become refugees for the second time.
yeah. go figure. alla vita...this is..the life.
and...Yesterday, the IDF started construction on the "Apartheid Wall" on the eastern side of Anata; Occupation plans are to turn Anata into a canton linking between the northern and southern Palestinian ghettos which will be created by the Wall. Anata will be surrounded by the Wall from all sides, together with the Shu'fat Refugee Camp and Dahiyat Assalam. Occupation Forces are also constructing a bypass road that will go from Anatot settlement and link with the new highway 45 leading to the Jordan Valley. Another road will connect Za'im village with Anata and link the Wall's southern ghetto (consisting of southeast Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Hebron) to the northern ghetto. Large areas of Anata's land will be confiscated or destroyed in the process of constructing Walls and bypass roads in this area.
Anata is located northeast of Jerusalem and has a population of 15,000 Palestinians, in addition to another 12,000 who are living in Dahyat Asslam, a residential area built on Anata's lands. According to Occupation Forces, Anata is designated to be part of the West Bank, while Dahyat Asslam, and Shufat refugee camp are considered to be part of Jerusalem, despite the fact that there is no clear boundary between them. For example, part of one house may be considered 'West Bank' according to IDF, while other parts of the same house would be considered to be in 'Jerusalem'.
The Wall in this area will isolate Dahiyat Assalam and the Shu'fat Refugee Camp, where more than thirty thousand Jerusalemites live. By isolating these people, it will facilitate the Israeli goal of reducing the number of Palestinians in Jerusalem.
related links here>>>> http://www.stopthewall.org/ http://www.pengon.org/
http://www.arij.org/
so there ya go. thats the bright story for the day!
ciao!
Palestinian Children Poems
Shaheed (meaning a martyr, this was for a 11 year old that was killed)
Someone who fights for what is originally his own,
His beloved country as valuable as gold.
A person who will be gifted with so much more,
He has gained entrance to heaven, the single prize everyone wishes for,
Even though he simply threw a rock,
Everlasting faith possessed his heart.
Death for the Shaheed is the best life he's about to start…
Jina Abdelwahab
Someone who fights for what is originally his own,
His beloved country as valuable as gold.
A person who will be gifted with so much more,
He has gained entrance to heaven, the single prize everyone wishes for,
Even though he simply threw a rock,
Everlasting faith possessed his heart.
Death for the Shaheed is the best life he's about to start…
Jina Abdelwahab
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