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.
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