’Israel’ Okayed Nearly 14,000 Settler Units during Talks

Local Editor

"Israel" approved plans for nearly 14,000 new settler units during the nine months of talks with the Palestinian Authority, an "Israeli" settlement watchdog said Tuesday as the negotiation period formally ended.
 
Figures quoted by the so-called ‘Peace Now' showed that during the talks, "Israeli" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government approved at least 13,851 new settling units through the advancement of plans and the publication of tenders.

"This is an unprecedented number representing an average of 50 units per day or 1,540 per month," it said.

It further mentioned that "Netanyahu broke construction records during the nine-month talks."

"Israel's" ongoing settlement building has weighed heavily on the negotiation process, with the Palestinian Authority infuriated by the relentless pace of new construction approvals on land they want for a future state.

They have demanded a complete settlement freeze as one of the key conditions for any return to the crisis-hit talks.
But "Israel" has flatly refused, with Netanyahu rejecting the notion that settlement building ran counter to talks efforts, saying he never agreed to any "restraints on construction" throughout the talks.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team