So the Israelis put condos before peace.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11422065US 'disappointed' as settlement building ban endsPalestinian President Mahmoud Abbas: ''We're absolutely determined to press on''
The US says it is "disappointed" by Israel's decision not to extend a ban on West Bank settlement building.
US Middle East envoy George Mitchell has been sent to the region in an attempt to salvage direct peace talks that were restarted earlier this month.
The 10-month moratorium came to an end at midnight (2200 GMT on Sunday).
Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas said he would respond to the decision after a meeting of Arab leaders in Cairo next Monday.
On Sunday, he had warned that the direct Israeli-Palestinian peace talks would be a "waste of time" unless the ban continued.
The UN and the EU also expressed disappointment at what UN chief Ban Ki-moon called Israel's "provocative" actions.
But Israeli Foreign Minister Avider Lieberman said the Palestinians had squandered the moratorium, which he described as a "unilateral gesture of goodwill".
"The Palestinians wasted time and completely refused to accept this gesture and accused Israel that it's a fraud, that it's not serious," he said.
Israel 'must do more'
With peace negotiations in the balance, Mr Abbas is in a difficult position and may be forced to compromise, says the BBC's Jon Donnison in the West Bank town of Ramallah.
Under US pressure, there are signs Palestinian negotiators may accept that the moratorium will not be extended, as long as no major construction takes place in the coming months, our correspondent adds.
On Monday, bulldozers started levelling ground for 50 homes in the settlement of Ariel in the northern West Bank, and similar activity was also reported in the settlements of Adam and Oranit. But construction work was reportedly slow because of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
The US state department praised what it called Mr Abbas's restraint, saying the US remained focused on the peace process's long-term objectives.
Mr Abbas said he would discuss the settlement issue with Palestinian negotiators in Ramallah on Wednesday, and the 22-member Arab League in the Egyptian capital Cairo next Monday.
Disappointed, wow, Israel really does have the US by the balls.
To remind everyone, this is the current situation.
• 62% under full Israeli control. This area contains all Israeli settlements, roads used by settlers, buffer zones and almost all of the Jordan Valley
• 38% under Palestinian civil control. In more than half of this, Israel has security control • There are 149 settlements and 100 outposts (settlements not authorised by Israel) • Population: 2.4 million Palestinians, 500,000 Jewish or Israeli settlers
So more than 81% of the West Bank is under Israeli military control.
Could anyone here tolerate foreign military control and endless ongoing theft of their country?
Last edited by Dilbert_X (2010-09-27 16:29:39)
