Image Credit: White House photo.
750 housing units to be built in East Jerusalem, 800 more to be built outside of "Green Line"
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Day of "exchange of letters" - File photo of President George W. Bush and then Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon during a press conference in the Cross Hall of the White House on April 14, 2004.
Image Credit: White House photo. |
BBSNews 2008-03-09 -- US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is learning the hard way about Israel and the incremental policy of escalation in the battle to retain and expand land holdings that the international community considers as belonging to Palestinians.
In yet another blow to the promise of Annapolis, Rice is faced with a complete disregard by Israel on one of the most important aspects of the way forward towards a just peace agreement; all illegal settlement building and expansion must completely cease. Instead, 1550 "housing units" are scheduled to be built on disputed and occupied territory, including in East Jerusalem, the future Palestinian capital.
On Friday, British Foreign Minister David Miliband made Britain's position completely clear:
"'We are very concerned about recent reports of Israeli settlement activity,' Foreign Minister David Miliband said in a written response to a query during a question-and-answer session on www.reuters.co.uk.'Britain considers that Israeli settlement building anywhere in the occupied Palestinian territories is illegal under international law. This includes settlements in both East Jerusalem and the West Bank,' he wrote."
The United States' position is less than clear. In April 2004, President Bush gave then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon assurances under an "exchange of letters" giving away part of the existing illegal settlements to Israel writing "In light of new realities on the ground, including already existing major Israeli populations centers, it is unrealistic to expect that the outcome of final status negotiations will be a full and complete return to the armistice lines of 1949 ..."
Yedioth reported earlier today that the 750 housing units to be built in East Jerusalem beyond the Green Line are only part of the expansion of illegal settlements being contemplated. In addition to the 750 units in Pisgat Zeev, there has also been a "deal" brokered to build 800 units, more than originally allowed for, in Givat Ze'ev:
"Housing and Construction Minister Ze'ev Boim on Sunday instructed his office to continue construction in the Agan Haeilot neighborhood in Givat Ze'ev, beyond the Green Line ... 'There are 750 housing units about to issued for bids (from contractors) for Pisgat Zeev,' Boim said in a radio interview. Israel captured east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war and immediately annexed the area. The Palestinians claim east Jerusalem as the capital of a future state and oppose all Israeli construction there."
Ironically the "deal" is ostensibly a trade for dismantling certain illegal "outposts" but illegal building, contrary to the "Road Map" that calls for a freeze on all settlement activity, will apparently continue. This news was withheld from Secretary Rice during her latest whirlwind visit:
"The details on the resumed construction in the settlement blocs were not published during US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's recent visit to the region. Now, following the report, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni will be forced to explain them during her visit to Washington, scheduled to begin Monday."
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