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Politics : Israel to U.S. : Now Deal with Syria and Iran -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Machaon who wrote (2674)	10/23/2003 12:36:18 PM
From: Ed Huang	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 22250

Another great news for the Zionists: Israel Plans New Homes in Jewish Settlements Thu October 23, 2003 11:10 AM ET JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel issued building tenders on Thursday for 323 new homes in two Jewish settlements in the West Bank, defying a construction freeze called for in a U.S.-backed peace "road map." A Housing Ministry official said tenders had been issued for 143 new apartments in the Karnei Shomron settlement, near Nablus in the northern West Bank, and 180 in Givat Zeev, which is close to Jerusalem. The independent Israeli settlement monitoring group Peace Now said the government had now published 1,627 tenders for new homes in the settlements since the beginning of the year. The road map accepted by Israel and the Palestinians in efforts to end more than three years of violence freezes all "settlement activity," meaning construction work. But a senior Israeli official said: "All legal tenders within existing communities are not included in the 'road map' according to our interpretation and our understanding." The building plans were published a day after Israel vowed to continue building a barrier that cuts into the West Bank despite a United Nations resolution demanding it be torn down. Israel says the barrier is needed to keep out suicide bombers, but Palestinians say it grabs land they want as part of an independent state. "We call on the United States to intervene to stop the Israeli government continuing settlement activities and walls. Settlements and walls are the number one obstacle to peace," said chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat. Israel has about 150 settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, territories it occupied in the 1967 Middle East war. The international community regards settlements on occupied land as illegal under international law. Israel disputes this. Peace Now said the tenders showed Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was paying only lip service to the adoption of the road map and continuing to build in the occupied territories. About 230,000 Jews live in the heavily guarded settlements scattered among 3.6 million Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Under the plans set out by the Israeli government, some settlements will be on Israel's side of the barrier. reuters.com