Israel defends settlement push amid criticism

An in Israeli walks in East Jerusalem's Jewish settlement neighborhood of Gilo in this April 2011 file photo. / Getty

JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday defended his decision to expand construction in east Jerusalem, saying it was Israel's "right" and "duty" to build in all parts of its capital.

Late Tuesday, Netanyahu's office said 2,000 new apartments would be built in Jewish areas of east Jerusalem. Officials said the move was an Israeli response to recent unilateral steps by the Palestinians, particularly its acceptance in the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO. The Palestinians, the U.S., Britain and the European Union condemned the decision to accelerate construction.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said the Obama administration was "deeply disappointed" in the settlement decision.

"Unilateral actions work against efforts to resume direct negotiations, and they do not advance the goal of a reasonable and necessary agreement between the two parties," Carney said. "And that is the only way to achieve the two-state solution that both sides have as their goal."

The U.S. opposes Israeli settlement activity as well as the Palestinians' bid for membership in U.N. organizations.

Carney said that "any action that either side takes that makes it harder rather than easier for the two parties to come together in direct negotiations is something that we oppose, and that would be the case here."

Israel captured east Jerusalem along with the West Bank from Jordan in the 1967 Mideast war. Israel subsequently annexed east Jerusalem, home to sensitive Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites, in a move that has not been internationally recognized. Palestinians claim that section of the city as their future capital.

Speaking at a special parliamentary session, Netanyahu pledged to keep building in east Jerusalem and said the city has never been a capital to any other people.

"We are building in Jerusalem because it is our right and our duty to this generation and future generations, not as punishment but as the basic right of our people to build in its eternal city," he said. "Jerusalem will never return to the state it was in on the eve of the (1967) Six-Day War, that I promise you."

The settlement projects announced by Netanyahu were not new, but he ordered they be accelerated. Such projects normally take years to complete because of planning and permit procedures and it was not clear how soon they would begin.

Netanyahu stressed that all building would take place in areas that are slated to stay part of Israel under any future peace accord.

The Palestinians demand an end to all construction in Israeli settlements before peace talks can resume. Israel rejects that as a precondition, insisting that the issue of settlements will be resolved when borders are defined through negotiations.

The announcement — and its linking to the UNESCO vote — sparked angry reactions.

"Israel has a choice between settlements and peace, between negotiations and dictation, between the past and the future," Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told an academic conference at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. "This government has chosen the past, settlements and dictation."

At the same conference, Israeli opposition leader Tzipi Livni also slammed the announcement, saying that Israel should keep certain settlement blocs — but in the framework of a negotiated peace accord.

"The idea that now we have to build more in order to punish the Palestinians is something that I cannot understand," she said.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague also condemned the announcement, calling it a serious blow to efforts to restart peace talks.

"This settlement building program is illegal under international law and is the latest in a series of provocative and unhelpful settlement announcements," he said in a statement.

Also Wednesday, pro-Palestinian activists said two boats set sail for Gaza in another attempt to breach Israel's naval blockade.

Amjad Shawwa, a spokesman for the activists in Gaza, said 27 people from nine countries are aboard the ships carrying medicine for Gaza. Activists said the vessels left Turkey on Wednesday and could reach Gaza in 48 hours.

Israel imposed a sea blockade on Gaza in 2007 after Hamas militants seized control there.

Israel says the blockade is needed to keep weapons out the hands of the militants. Critics say it is collective punishment.

Israel says aid can be delivered to Gaza over land and considers attempts to reach Gaza by sea as political provocations.

Last year, nine Turkish pro-Palestinian activists were killed in a botched Israeli raid on a similar flotilla. The incident severely damaged relations between Israel and Turkey.

[formerusmcsgt1]

Israel, with UNESCO admitting Palestine as a member by an overwhelming majority smells the coffe and understands that the US alone now views Israel in a favorable light - and that's only because AIPAC owns Congress.

So now it accelerates settlement building and even threatens to attack a country which has never attacked Israel.

Israelis are warmongering savages and the fact that the US ever allowed itself to be prostituted by Israel is a national disgrace.

We deserve to be hated by the Arab world for our own stupidity.

[thealwaysright1]

The jews need to build it up as fast as they can. Everyone around them just wished they worshipped islam and lived back in the middle ages like the rest of the ME. You cant live an outdated/uneducated lifestyle and then get mad at your neighboring country because they are more advanced.

[kiljare]

Well the international community can suck it. It is Israel's land and they can do with it as they please. I don't see the US giving all its land back to the native americans. How about China, England, France, and Spain? You can't impose rules of war on another country that you are not willing to follow yourself. It is hypocritical and moronic. I am waiting for Israel to become this warmongering country that all the islamists accuse them of being. That should be something to see when there are about 5 less countries surrounding them.

[robo_duck]

Israel's defense of its illegal settlement construction is akin to a thief saying that I stole all your stuff because I needed it for the natural growth of my crack habit.

No country recognizes Israel's claim to East Jerusalem, so it is not its capital but merely land it holds under belligerent occupation. In fact no country recognizes Israel claim to any part of Jerusalem, which is why all foreign embassies reside in Tel Aviv and not occupied Jerusalem.

[CMMV]

I only have one question....why have the Jews been persecuted and pushed out of so many countries for over 1000 years, why?
I know the answer, just want some input from some of you who may have an opion.

[Samlv]

You will not get an answer here. Ask how many wars the Jews have started, people don't know. And ask why Jews could not return to their homes after WWII, they don't know. Ask people what the Hamas charter says, they don't know. Ask them why they spit on Israel, and they don't know.

[p_syrus]

Israel is a pariah. What else would you expect?

[tsigili]

There will be another major conflict there, within the next several months.......mostly because some people haven't been smart about the fact the Palestinians have zero intention of making peace.

[kcits]

Neither does Israel as they continue the land grab tactics. They will settle with the Palestinians and give them 3 square miles 50 years in the future after all the settlements are built.

[artycohn]

Gilo is not a settlement It is a neighborhood in Jerusalem. It is in the section of Jerusalem conquered by Jordan in 1948 but lost back to Israel in 1967 when Jordan joined with Nasser's Egypt to try to destroy Israel. UN resolution 242 calls for no transfer of Israel land until there are peace treaties. The Palestinian Arabs have agreed to no peace treaties and have reneged on each and all of the agreements that they have signed with Israel. The Palestinians are daily shooting explosive missiles into Israel. Why doesn't that information fill your news reporting? Why are you so concerned about a small addition to a Jewish neighborhood in Israel's capital city. It will not have any affect on any possible peace agreement, which will not happen until the Arabs recognize Israel as the Jewish State and that all descendents of Arabs who left Israel when it was atttacked by Arab countries have no right of return o Israel .

[formerusmcsgt1]

White House spokesman Jay Carney said the Obama administration was "deeply disappointed" in the settlement decision.

----

Makes no dif. AIPAC owns our Congress, so giving us the finger again will cost Israel nothing and they know it.

[woozybarnes]

I would like to completely disagree with you. Unfortunately I can't because you are absolutely correct.

[downtowndave1]

It makes sense that since God gave the land of Israel to the Jews, and Jerusalem is the place where He has chosen to put His Name, and since God has called His people back to their homeland, that the Jews should be building homes. http://483years.blogspot.com/

[fwd23515]

You, sir, are an idiot.