bruut geweld
18 augustus 2004, 00:47
New settlement tenders http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/images/0.gifhttp://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/images/0.gifbron : By Nadav Shragai ([email protected]) and Aluf Benn ([email protected]), Haaretz Correpondents and Haaretz Servicehttp://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/images/0.gifhttp://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/images/0.gifThe United States on Tuesday refrained from condemning Israel for publishing tenders earlier in the day for the construction of some 1,000 new housing units in existing West Bank settlements.
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/images/0.gifhttp://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/images/0.gifDeputy State Department Spokesman Adam Ereli told reporters that the administration was studying the details of the tenders and looking into exactly what is involved and where the new units with be built. He said that he could not say whether the tenders constituted a breach of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s commitments to freeze settlement construction.
He added that the U.S. view is that Israel has committed itself to an entire freeze on construction in the territories, including to accommodate “natural growth.”
Housing and Construction Minster Tzipi Livni said Tuesday afternoon that the tenders do not contradict commitments to the U.S. administration to freeze settlement construction.
"The tenders were issued according to necessity and based on the blueprints. These are settlement blocs at the very heart of the consensus. This has nothing to do with the disengagement plan, this is part of government policy and is not to connected to the American declarations."
The blueprints were checked and authorized, said Livni and thus "there is no reason for a big drama."
The announcement of the tenders angered the Labor Party, which demanded that the tenders be revoked immediately.
The tenders include 604 homes in Betar Ilit, 214 in Ariel, 141 in Ma'aleh Adumim, and 42 in Karnei Shomron.
Last week, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, responding to American requests for clarifications, delayed tenders for the construction of more than 1,000 housing units in settlements, among them many of those issued on Tuesday.
Sharon ordered a number of the tenders to be re-examined, as a result of which, the tenders released Tuesday did not include 156 proposed units in Kiryat Arba, and 132 in Geva Binyamin.
MK Ophir Pines-Paz, a senior Labor Party spokesman, demanded that Sharon immediately revoke the tenders. According to Pines, cancellation of the tenders should be a pre-condition for negotiations over Labor joining a unity government with the Likud.
The Peace Now organization also condemned the tenders, saying in a statement, "The boss has gone mad. Sharon has decided to scoff at his government's promise to freeze construction in settlements. Rather than disengagement, he is carrying out massive occupation in Judea and Samaria [the West Bank]."
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said in recent weeks that Ma'aleh Adumim would be appended to Jerusalem, thus approving the publication of construction of 55 apartments in the West Bank settlement city.
The publication surprised the Americans, who were unaware of the plans, and asked Israel for an explanation.
Officials in Jerusalem maintained that this was an old project, approved prior to the government's May 2003 pledge to limit construction, and one that in any case would be built within the confines of existing housing
"DISENGAGEMENT PLAN" ???? = bijbouwen vanwege "natuurlijke" aangroei..
Jaja, die nieuwe huizen in de nederzettingen zullen ook maar TIJDELIJK zijn zker ? :oops: en de USA is wel in zijn gat gebeten, maar toch officieel niet toegeven he, het gezichtsverlies is blijkbaar te groot...
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/images/0.gifhttp://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/images/0.gifDeputy State Department Spokesman Adam Ereli told reporters that the administration was studying the details of the tenders and looking into exactly what is involved and where the new units with be built. He said that he could not say whether the tenders constituted a breach of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s commitments to freeze settlement construction.
He added that the U.S. view is that Israel has committed itself to an entire freeze on construction in the territories, including to accommodate “natural growth.”
Housing and Construction Minster Tzipi Livni said Tuesday afternoon that the tenders do not contradict commitments to the U.S. administration to freeze settlement construction.
"The tenders were issued according to necessity and based on the blueprints. These are settlement blocs at the very heart of the consensus. This has nothing to do with the disengagement plan, this is part of government policy and is not to connected to the American declarations."
The blueprints were checked and authorized, said Livni and thus "there is no reason for a big drama."
The announcement of the tenders angered the Labor Party, which demanded that the tenders be revoked immediately.
The tenders include 604 homes in Betar Ilit, 214 in Ariel, 141 in Ma'aleh Adumim, and 42 in Karnei Shomron.
Last week, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, responding to American requests for clarifications, delayed tenders for the construction of more than 1,000 housing units in settlements, among them many of those issued on Tuesday.
Sharon ordered a number of the tenders to be re-examined, as a result of which, the tenders released Tuesday did not include 156 proposed units in Kiryat Arba, and 132 in Geva Binyamin.
MK Ophir Pines-Paz, a senior Labor Party spokesman, demanded that Sharon immediately revoke the tenders. According to Pines, cancellation of the tenders should be a pre-condition for negotiations over Labor joining a unity government with the Likud.
The Peace Now organization also condemned the tenders, saying in a statement, "The boss has gone mad. Sharon has decided to scoff at his government's promise to freeze construction in settlements. Rather than disengagement, he is carrying out massive occupation in Judea and Samaria [the West Bank]."
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said in recent weeks that Ma'aleh Adumim would be appended to Jerusalem, thus approving the publication of construction of 55 apartments in the West Bank settlement city.
The publication surprised the Americans, who were unaware of the plans, and asked Israel for an explanation.
Officials in Jerusalem maintained that this was an old project, approved prior to the government's May 2003 pledge to limit construction, and one that in any case would be built within the confines of existing housing
"DISENGAGEMENT PLAN" ???? = bijbouwen vanwege "natuurlijke" aangroei..
Jaja, die nieuwe huizen in de nederzettingen zullen ook maar TIJDELIJK zijn zker ? :oops: en de USA is wel in zijn gat gebeten, maar toch officieel niet toegeven he, het gezichtsverlies is blijkbaar te groot...