Israel okays building 1,450 homes in West Bank settlement (Roundup)

Jun 29, 2009, 14:17 GMT

Tel Aviv - Israel's Defence Ministry informed the High Court Monday of a plan to build 1,450 apartments in the occupied West Bank, 50 of which have received final approval for construction to begin.

Notification of the plan, authorised in 1996, comes as Defence Minister Ehud Barak was set to meet with US President Barack Obama's special envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, in Washington Monday in a bid to iron out the Israeli-US dispute over ongoing Israeli construction in the West Bank.

The 50 apartments are to be built in Adam, a Jewish settlement north of Jerusalem and south of Ramallah, as part of a plan to relocate Jewish settlers there from Migron, an unauthorized outpost that is to be evacuated.

The timing of the Defence Ministry's admission could complicate the Israeli government's attempts to reach an understanding with the US on the settlement issue.

While Obama is demanding a complete freeze of all Israeli building in the West Bank, the Israeli government has insisted on ongoing construction within existing settlements to accomodate for 'natural growth.'

A meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mitchell, originally set for last Thursday, was cancelled, 'to allow for proper staff work to be undertaken beforehand,' an Israeli official said at the time.

Barak on Sunday would not confirm reports that Israel had decided to temporarily freeze all Israeli building in the West Bank for three months, including for natural growth.

Israel is hoping to reach a compromise with the US regarding the demand for a total freeze.

While thus far refusing to accept the total freeze, it has promised to uproot unauthorized outposts, set up by settlers without formal government approval since Israel built its last, government- sponsored settlement in the West Bank in 1996.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas however said Monday that Israel's freezing settlement activity in the West Bank would not be enough to resume negotiations unless it is coupled with Israel's recognition of the two-state solution.

He told reporters in Ramallah that Israel should implement its obligations under the road map peace plan, which calls for a total halt to settlement activities.

'If Israel has agreed to freeze the settlements, to restart negotiations, it has also to accept the two-state solution,' he said.

After weeks of hesitation, Netanyahu gave grudging acceptance to the two-state solution, albeit with conditions, in a speech he gave on June 14.

'We have implemented our obligations (in the road map) but Israel has not started implementing even one step of what it is supposed to do,' Abbas charged.

'Israel should stop all settlement activities including natural growth, which we shall never accept,' said Abbas. 'This is not a condition. This is a requirement of the road map. Every party should start implementing its obligations, which we have accepted, to start negotiations.'

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat also criticized the Israeli plans, saying that 'in both word and deed, Israel continues to ignore its obligations under the road map, as well as defy international demands for a stop to all settlement activity.'.

'The road map is clear. Either Israel stops all settlement activity or it continues its settlement activity in contravention of its road map obligations. There is no in between,' he added.

Phase one of the 2003 road map calls on the Palestinian Authority to dismantle the infrastructure of armed Palestinian organizations and enforce law and order in the areas under it control.

Israel for its part is called on to halt settlement activities and to remove outposts, and take steps to normalise Palestinian life, by removing restrictions on Palestinian traffic in the occupied territories.