Palestinians reacted fiercely and condemned this move
Israel expands list of settlements in the West Bank
05/08/2013 - 12:18pm
The Israeli government approved on Sunday the expansion of the number of settlements in the West Bank which are eligible for extra public funding. The approval comes just a few days after the resumption of peace talks with Palestine that reacted fiercely and condemned this move.
More specific, six additional settlements were included in the revised list reaching 91 settlements on land captured by Israel during the 1967 war. Israeli settlements built on occupied land are regarded as illegal by the World Court and most of the international community.
The settlements are one of the key issues in the Israel-Palestine negotiations. In particular, Palestine had long refused to reopen peace talks with Israel due to the latter’s refusal to cease settlement construction.
Following the approval of the six additional settlements, Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the Palestinian negotiating team told the Associated Press: "This is exactly what Israel wants, have a process for its own sake, and at the same time have a free hand to destroy the objective of the process. This will have a destructive impact (on the talks), and it seems to me it's up to the sponsors, the United States and the international community, to make Israel desist immediately."
Moreover, Nabil Abu Radainah, a spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the decision, and told Reuters that it "put obstacles in the way of US-backed efforts."
Four Israeli ministers abstained from the vote, including Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, who is also the lead negotiator with the Palestinian Authority. europe on line
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