Israel permits new settlement homes

Al Jazeera, June 30, 2009

Israel has approved 50 new settlement units in the West Bank and plans to build 1,400 more [AFP] Israel has approved the construction of 50 new homes in a West Bank settlement and announced plans to expropriate more Palestinian land. The move comes just hours before Israel’s defence minister, Ehud Barak, visits the US in a bid to defuse tensions over Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land. The land grab and new permits come despite a demand from Barack Obama, the US president, for a complete freeze to all Israeli settlement activity, and could exacerbate a rare public spat between the allies. Continued >>

Tags: Israel, Palestine, Palestinian land, West Bank settlement