By IINA,
Jerusalem : The Israeli government has announced the construction of about 900 new homes in East Jerusalem amid international criticism against its policy on settlement expansion. Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, on Sunday praised the plan to build new homes. The plan envisages building 763 housing units in Pisgat Zeev and 121 housing units in Har Homa settlement in Jabal Abu Ghaneim. Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, expressed his “deep concern” over the plan to build news homes. “The government of Israel’s continued construction in settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory is contrary to international law and to its commitments under the road map and the Annapolis process,” he said in a statement on Monday.
Dana Perino, a White House spokeswoman, explained why the US does not believe that more settlements should be built. She said new construction creates tension in peace talks with Palestinians. Perino said that the expansion of existing settlements in East Jerusalem is part of the problem as Palestinians feel that Israel is not serious about peace and that it “is not acting in good faith”.
Meir Shitreet, the Israeli interior minister, defended the new settlement expansion by citing Biblical claims. “Har Homa is part of Jerusalem.
It’s not a settlement. And sometimes people regularly forget Jerusalem is our capital, not since Camp David, but since King David, so that claims that they cannot build in Jerusalem is totally nonsense. No one in the government of Israel ever stop building in Jerusalem.” But Palestinians living in the occupied territories differ c The Israeli government has announced the construction of about 900 new homes in East Jerusalem amid international criticism against its policy on settlement expansion.