Israel defies US demands to stop building in Jerusalem
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Thursday November 19 2009
Israel pressed ahead with work on a new housing complex for Jews in east Jerusalem yesterday, brushing off President Barack Obama's criticism that construction in the disputed part of the holy city undermines efforts to relaunch Middle East peace talks.
Israel defied American, European and Palestinian demands to stop settlement activity by announcing it will press forward with construction of 900 apartments in another Jewish area in east Jerusalem.
Speaking in Beijing yesterday, Mr Obama criticised the plan to build hundreds of homes in Jerusalem's Gilo neighbourhood, saying such moves make it harder to achieve peace in the region and embitter the Palestinians in a way he said could be dangerous.
The Palestinians claim the West Bank and east Jerusalem -- areas captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war -- for their hoped-for state and have refused negotiations until Israel stops settlement construction in these areas. The Palestinians say the continued growth of settlements on land they claim will make it impossible for them to establish a viable country.
The Israeli government declined to respond to Mr Obama's comments. But earlier in the day, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Israel had no intention of stopping the Gilo construction.
The future of east Jerusalem is the most intractable issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The area includes Jerusalem's walled Old City -- home to Jewish, Christian and Muslim holy sites. Israel annexed east Jerusalem immediately after the 1967 war and claims the city as its eternal capital. The annexation was never recognised by other countries.
Tensions
Speaking in parliament yesterday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not address the tensions with the US. Instead, Mr Netanyahu reiterated his call for an immediate resumption of peace talks and criticised the Palestinians for refusing to return to the table.
As he spoke, however, Israel faced a growing torrent of international criticism. The EU expressed "dismay" over the Gilo project. It said that settlement activity, demolition of Palestinian homes in east Jerusalem and evictions of Palestinian families from contested properties, undermined negotiations and "threatened the viability of a two-state solution".
In the West Bank, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat welcomed the international criticism. He said the Gilo project "provides 900 more reasons why hopes for salvaging the two-state solution and restarting genuine negotiations are rapidly fading, and why Israel is not a partner for peace".
- Ben Hubbard in Jerusalem
Irish Independent
