Monday, March 21, 2005
Israel backstabs peace process
The headline is a little harsh but the idea is right. The expansion of the West Bank settlements will be seen as a doublecross by the Palestinians. It is classic Sharon, grab the West Banks, with it water. Now, Israel has overlooked a couple Palestinian attacks, now it is the Palestinians turn to give Israel achance to undo this damage.
Jax
Aerial photographs by Israel's defence ministry have provided fresh evidence that the government is continuing its rapid expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank despite public statements to the contrary.
The Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz yesterday reported that the pictures, taken last summer and again this year, show extensive construction on settlements, confirming Palestinian fears that Ariel Sharon is using the upheaval around the removal of Jewish settlers from the Gaza strip as cover to grab control of more of the West Bank.
Article continues
The continued construction is also in breach of Israel's commitments under the US-led road map peace initiative which requires a complete freeze on settlement expansion.
A Palestinian cabinet minister, Saeb Erekat, said the continued expansion of the settlements and outposts jeopardises the Palestinian leadership's attempts to curb violence and negotiate a peace agreement.
"Any settlement continuation at a faster pace puts our effort to revive the peace process into danger," he told Associated Press. "Everywhere we go in the West Bank we see settlement construction that undermines all the efforts being exerted to revive hope in the minds of Palestinians that the peace is durable." (Link)
Jax
Aerial photographs by Israel's defence ministry have provided fresh evidence that the government is continuing its rapid expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank despite public statements to the contrary.
The Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz yesterday reported that the pictures, taken last summer and again this year, show extensive construction on settlements, confirming Palestinian fears that Ariel Sharon is using the upheaval around the removal of Jewish settlers from the Gaza strip as cover to grab control of more of the West Bank.
Article continues
The continued construction is also in breach of Israel's commitments under the US-led road map peace initiative which requires a complete freeze on settlement expansion.
A Palestinian cabinet minister, Saeb Erekat, said the continued expansion of the settlements and outposts jeopardises the Palestinian leadership's attempts to curb violence and negotiate a peace agreement.
"Any settlement continuation at a faster pace puts our effort to revive the peace process into danger," he told Associated Press. "Everywhere we go in the West Bank we see settlement construction that undermines all the efforts being exerted to revive hope in the minds of Palestinians that the peace is durable." (Link)
