"Israel" mulls settlements expansion

Source: alalam.ir, 14-05-2008
AL-QUDS-The 'Israeli' occupying regime will approve next week the construction of hundreds of illegal homes in occupied West Bank settlements, further agitating the fence-mending talks between the occupying regime and the Palestinians.
The announcement by the Shas religious party, a hardline member of the government, came hours before US President George W. Bush was due to arrive in 'Israel' -- in part to prod 'Israel' and the Palestinians to negotiate a so-called peace deal.
A spokesman for Zionist Housing Minister Zeev Boim denied the announcement, but did not rule out construction in the Betar Illit settlement at a later date.
The planned construction reported by Shas would be on land the Palestinians want for a future state and could make it even harder for Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas to convince his people that diplomacy would win them a state. A top Palestinian negotiator accused the 'Israeli' regime of acting in bad faith.
Shas leader Eli Yishai told 'Israel' Radio that construction would be allowed in the Betar Illit settlement near occupied Al-Quds.
He did not dispute the radio station's account that Zionist Premier Ehud Olmert himself had pledged to allow the construction of hundreds of apartments to proceed.
Shas spokesman Roi Lachmanovich said that Boim would approve construction in Betar Illit and other areas on Sunday, after Bush's three-day visit.
Boim spokesman Eran Sidis said the minister "denies the report about the approval of hundreds of housing units in Betar Illit.'' He declined to comment further -- leaving open the possibility that construction would be announced some other time.
An Olmert spokesman said he did not know of plans to announce construction. But he said building in Betar Illit would not contradict Olmert's recent statements on the subject.
The "road map'' peace plan that forms the basis of negotiations renewed in November with US backing obliges 'Israel' to halt all settlement construction.
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the equivocal statements coming from Boim's office weren't helping peacemaking.
"Are they trying to deceive us, or somebody else?'' he asked. "I really believe they must make up their mind. It's 'Israeli' settlements or peace. They can't have both.''
The US administration also has said settlement construction is not helpful to the peace efforts.
Abbas briefly called off the negotiations earlier this year to protest settlement expansion.
At the resumption of talks last year, 'Israel' and the Palestinians set a December 2008 target for reaching a peace deal.