U.S. wants details on plan to build homes in East Jerusalem
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent, and Agencies Last update - 07:41
07/12/2007
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/932108.html

The U.S. has requested that Israel provide clarifications on its plan to
build more than 300 new homes in an East Jerusalem neighborhood, Israeli
officials confirmed to Haaretz on Thursday.

The new housing would expand Har Homa, a Jewish neighborhood in an area
Palestinians claim as the capital of a future state. The Palestinians call
the area Jabal Abu Ghneim, and Palestinian officials have appealed to the
U.S. to block the project.

The officials said U.S. diplomats who met with senior government officials
in Jerusalem this week said that Washington hoped to gain insight on what
the construction project would mean for the peace process.

According to the officials, the Americans said they wanted to know "what
this thing is exactly and where it's coming from." The officials told
Haaretz that they had explained to the Americans that the construction of
the 307 housing units was approved long before the Annapolis peace summit
that took place last month.

"We told them this was nothing new, and that anyway this was a construction
project inside Jerusalem, which is Israel's capital, and that we regard this
as perfectly legitimate."

According to the road map, Israel is supposed to cease all settlement
construction. But Israel does not consider construction in East Jerusalem to
be settlement activity.

UN, Arabs condemn plan

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon slammed on Thursday Israel's plan to build
more than 300 new homes in an East Jerusalem neighborhood.

"This new tender for 300 new homes in eastern Jerusalem, so soon after the
Annapolis Middle East peace conference, I think is not helpful," Ban said,
noting that the United Nations had a consistent position on the illegality
of such settlements.

The new housing would expand Har Homa, a Jewish neighborhood in an area
Palestinians claim as capital of a future state. The Palestinians call the
area Jabal Abu Ghneim.

The future of Jerusalem is one of the most contentious issues facing Israeli
and Palestinian negotiators in peace talks that are supposed to resume this
month, following the landmark Middle East conference in Annapolis, Maryland.

An Israeli government spokesman has said the plan does not contravene
Israel's commitment under a U.S.-sponsored "road map" for peace with the
Palestinians.

Palestinian officials say it could damage the peace process re-launched
under U.S. patronage at the peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland last
week. Palestinian officials have appealed to the U.S. to block the project.

Under the road map, Israel has committed to stop settlement activity in the
occupied West Bank, but distinguishes between that area and Jerusalem, whose
municipal boundaries were expanded after the 1967 war and included a number
of Arab neighborhoods and villages around the city.

The site of the new building lies between Arab East Jerusalem and the West
Bank city of Bethlehem to the south.

Jordan also condemned Israel's housing plan, the official Petra news agency
said.

Jordanian State Minister for Information, Nasser Judeh, said the Israeli
measure contravenes international resolutions that consider the West Bank,
including East Jerusalem, as occupied territories.

He said the Israeli move would increase tension and threaten efforts to
start direct negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis, build
confidence between them and push the peace process forward leading to the
establishment of a viable Palestinian state and a just and lasting peace in
the region.

Judeh urged the Israelis to immediately halt the buidling plans.

Judeh added Jordan totally rejects the Israeli action and believes that the
Jewish state's failure to meet its obligations under the road map peace plan
and persistence in building settlements, are major obstacles to achieving
serious progress in the peace process.

Related articles:

Palestinians slam Israeli move to build new homes in E. Jerusalem

Gov't promoting plan for new ultra-Orthodox East Jerusalem neighborhood

Court orders settlers to leave building in East Jerusalem

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1. What better details does the USA want 01:20 | Marlene07/12/07

2. it is still "facts on the ground" 01:29 | Paul Freedman07/12/07

3. All Construction In Areas Occupied in 1967 Must be Halted 01:30 | Mr.
Knowitall07/12/07

4. Same old Israel.. Stealing more land, disrupting peace. 01:30 |
POP07/12/07

5. Pouring more Oil into the fire 01:32 | Ronen07/12/07

6. US wants details on E. Jerusalem plan 01:34 | marcel07/12/07

7. When the us says jump olmert better jump 01:39 | bernard ross07/12/07

8. Dear George 01:43 | Mark Lincoln07/12/07

9. The cue sentence 01:44 | Axel07/12/07

10. What Better Details Does the US Want 01:56 | Steve07/12/07

11. Homes devellopment 02:00 | Shmuelshachor07/12/07

12. Against the Road Map, Har Homa subverts viable Palestinian state
02:05 | Paul07/12/07

13. Peace not Provocation 02:11 | Mike in Scotland07/12/07

14. East Jerusalem 02:22 | Gene07/12/07

15. Talking about `painfull concessions` 02:24 | Ruthie07/12/07

16. re: Mr. Knowitall 02:26 | Efox07/12/07

17. Steve 02:29 | janmarie07/12/07

18. Same old arabs, trying to steal Jewish land 02:35 | David07/12/07

19. Perfectly legitimate? Yes, according to settler law. 02:35 |
JJ07/12/07

20. This action contradicts Israel`s pledge towards peace 02:39 |
POP07/12/07

21. re: janmarie 02:54 | Efox07/12/07

22. re: POP 02:57 | Efox07/12/07

23. reL: Axel 02:59 | Efox07/12/07

24. re: JJ 03:00 | Efox07/12/07

25. #10 Steve 03:07 | Boycott07/12/07

26. Efox 03:07 | janmarie07/12/07

27. The US are working against the peace 03:14 | Frank07/12/07

28. Testing, Testing, Testing the US 03:15 | Danny Collins07/12/07

29. US DOESN`T WANT DETAILS, SHE KNOWS ALREADY 03:16 | indrajaya07/12/07

30. At it again. 03:18 | Singer07/12/07

31. From Annapolis right back to Apartheid policies 03:19 | Jan07/12/07

32. Israel wants details on Building in Washington, D.C. 03:21 |
ZADOK07/12/07

33. Cut the Crap, Israel.... 03:21 | R07/12/07

34. Jordanian Law: Selling Real Estate to Jews is Punishable by Death
03:32 | Straight Talk07/12/07

35. NO to intrusion 03:38 | Brod07/12/07

36. Wrong time and wrong place 03:41 | Mandela07/12/07

37. #34 Straight Talk: Jordanian law on land selling meaningless... 03:47
| Straight Man07/12/07

38. #32 Zadok: Is Israel a sovereign country? Yes, but... 03:54 |
Ravi07/12/07

39. Stupid Israel 03:56 | John Hurt07/12/07

40. Jordan is Israel 03:57 | R07/12/07

41. Never trust Zionists 03:58 | Nissan07/12/07

42. EFox: WTF are you talking about? Go Off Topic much? 03:59 |
POP07/12/07

43. Mandela #36 04:02 | Brod07/12/07

44. Isreal should request US building permits info 04:08 | Tory07/12/07

45. #35 Brod`s `America should stop treating Israel as a colony` 04:16 |
Buh07/12/07

46. Brod 04:17 | janmarie07/12/07

47. Efux... are you daft? 04:21 | POP07/12/07

48. Israel must stop expanding settlements - Pals terrorism 05:11 |
Gordon07/12/07

49. #6 Just to point out to you, marcel 05:21 | Johnboy07/12/07

50. ANswer to # 6 05:27 | Abe07/12/07

51. #14 And, just to point out to you, Gene... 05:30 | Johnboy07/12/07

52. ANswer to # 6 05:33 | Abe07/12/07

53. a construction project inside Jerusalem ? 05:58 | David James
Vickery07/12/07

54. #32 ZARDOK asks some questions 06:01 | Johnboy07/12/07

55. #25 Boycott 06:19 | Steve07/12/07

56. Israelis control what goes on in Israel. 06:21 | David07/12/07

57. Janmarie 06:25 | Steve07/12/07

58. #56 Such a marvelous statement, David! Except... 07:03 |
Johnboy07/12/07

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