- JERUSALEM (AFP) - Israel
was on collision course with its US ally again after it approved the construction
of hundreds of new houses in one of the largest and most controversial
of the West Bank settlements.
-
- Just days after the government was reprimanded over plans
for 600 new homes in the largest of the Jewish settlements, Maale Adumin,
news emerged that Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz had signed permits for the
construction of the housing units on the western fringes of Ariel.
-
- The Maariv daily reported that the go-ahead for 300 houses,
which would be in contravention of the US-backed roadmap for peace plan,
was agreed three months ago.
-
- But tenders had not yet been issued due to "diplomatic
considerations".
-
- A government source confirmed that the project had been
approved but said the green light was given around six months ago, adding
that it would involve nearer 200 than 300 houses.
-
- Ariel mayor Ron Nachman told AFP the new tranche formed
part of a wider "development plan" for 2,000 homes that was given
the go-ahead several years ago.
-
- Ariel, home to around 18,000 residents, lies some 12
miles (20 kilometers) to the east of the internationally-recognised boundary
between Israel and the West Bank, the so-called Green Line.
-
- Under the terms of the roadmap, Israel is obliged to
freeze all settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territories.
-
- But news of the expansion plans for Ariel follows confirmation
by the government last week that 600 homes had been approved for Maale
Adumin which lies just outside Jerusalem.
-
- That announcement prompted the US State Department to
tersely remind Israel that "the roadmap calls for an end to all settlement
activities, including natural growth", a point taken up by visiting
White House envoy Elliott Abrams in talks with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
last Thursday.
-
- The Israeli anti-settlement watchdog Peace Now charged
that Mofaz and Sharon "were acting like thieves in the night"
and damaging the special relationship with the United States.
-
- "The construction of hundreds of new housing blocks
east of the Green Line is a death blow to the solution of two states for
two people," it said.
-
- The peace blueprint, which aims for the creation of a
Palestinian state in 2005 living in peace and security next to Israel,
has made next to no progress since it was endorsed in June last year.
-
- Although top-level Israeli-Palestinian contacts have
been frozen for nearly 12 months, security officials were expected to meet
Sunday in a bid to finalise an agreement on arming Palestinian security
forces in the West Bank.
-
- But the talks were postponed, Palestinian negotiations
minister Saeb Erakat told AFP, without giving a reason for the delay.
-
- "This meeting should now, I hope, take place tomorrow."
-
- The West Bank has been gripped by growing lawlessness
in recent weeks, including kidnappings and arson attacks on government
buildings.
-
- But while the Palestinian Authority has vowed to restore
law and order, its room for maneuver is limited as Israel retains security
responsibility for nearly all of the territory, banning Palestinian police
from strapping on weapons.
-
- The Israeli army's chief of staff, General Moshe Yaalon,
said while he supported the idea of allowing the security forces to be
armed, any such move had to be taken in coordination between both sides.
-
- "In the West Bank where we operate, we have trouble
distinguishing between police and terrorists and therefore we must coordinate
our actions with the Palestinian Authority," he told public radio.
-
- Sharon told Sunday's cabinet that Israel would decide
on which Palestinian police would have the right to bear weapons, adding
they would be restricted to carrying handguns.
-
- Hassan Abu Libdeh, chief aide to Palestinian premier
Ahmed Qorei, said the Israelis had to take a large slice of blame for the
security chaos.
-
- "I hope that this meeting will be a success and
that there will be agreements on steps on the ground to protect and safeguard
security in the Palestinian areas," he added.
-
- Meanwhile, Palestinian justice minister Nahed al-Rais
said he was waiting for a response from Qorei after he submitted his resignation
on Saturday.
-
- Rais has demanded greater control over the public prosecutor
and courts administration, offices which have to date been effectively
controlled by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat .
-
- "Mr Qorei has asked me to be patient, to wait for
a short time and after that we'll see," he said.
-
- Copyright © 2004 Agence France Presse. All rights
reserved. The information contained in the AFP News report may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority
of Agence France Presse.
|
