Israel’s nationalist-religious government has approved the construction of about 5700 additional housing units for Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank despite overseas pressure to halt settlement expansion that the United States views as an obstacle to peace with Palestinians.
The plans for approval of the housing units in various areas of the West Bank were approved by Israel’s Supreme Planning Council.
Final approvals were given to 818 units including while the others were in various stages of approval.
Jewish settler leadership praised the decision.
“I thank the Israeli government for the continued development of Israeli settlement,” the head of the West Bank Gush Etzion Regional Council and chairman of the Yesha Council Shlomo Ne’man said.
“Especially in these difficult days, this is the most appropriate Zionist answer to all those who seek to destroy us.”
Most countries deem the settlements, built on land captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, as illegal.
Their presence is one of the fundamental issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Palestinians seek to establish an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem as their capital.
Israeli settlers cite Jewish historical connections to the land.
Read the article in The Canberra Times (AAP).