{"id":149907,"date":"2015-05-09T21:07:54","date_gmt":"2015-05-09T21:07:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/?guid=c1a9cfd91c860c10e24696fad4a6f3db"},"modified":"2015-05-10T15:52:12","modified_gmt":"2015-05-10T15:52:12","slug":"illegal-international-law-eu-slams-israels-settlement-plans-east-jerusalem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/war-terrorism\/illegal-international-law-eu-slams-israels-settlement-plans-east-jerusalem\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Illegal under international law\u2019: EU slams Israel\u2019s settlement plans in East Jerusalem"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
<\/div>\n
\u00a0The EU has criticized Israel for recently approving the construction of 900 new settler homes in East Jerusalem, joining the US and Palestinian condemnation of Tel-Aviv\u2019s settlement policies.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cIsrael\u2019s determination to continue its settlement policy\u00a0despite the urging of the international community not only
\nthreatens the viability of the two state solution but also\u00a0seriously calls into question its commitment to a negotiated
\nagreement with the Palestinians,\u201d<\/em> the EU said in a statement\u00a0on Saturday.<\/p>\n

\u201cSettlements are illegal under international law,\u201d<\/em> the\u00a0statement stressed.<\/p>\n

Jerusalem\u2019s district planning committee issued a fresh batch of\u00a0construction approvals on Wednesday, according to settlement\u00a0watchdog Peace Now.<\/p>\n

The new homes are to be built in Ramat Shlomo, an ultra-Orthodox\u00a0settlement neighborhood nestled in mostly Arab East Jerusalem,\u00a0Hagit Ofran, a spokesman for Settlement watchdog Peace Now, told\u00a0AFP.<\/p>\n

The move came shortly after re-elected Israeli PM, Benjamin\u00a0Netanyahu, struck a deal with Jewish Home (Bayit Yehudi), a\u00a0Zionist pro-settlement party, to form a new rightwing-religious\u00a0coalition government.<\/p>\n

The Palestinian authorities condemned the new government, with\u00a0senior Palestinian official, Nabil Shaath, calling it a
\n\u201ccolonial settler cabinet.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Israeli settlement plans were slammed by Washington on Thursday,\u00a0with US State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke calling them\u00a0\u201ca disappointing development.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n
\n Published time: May 09, 2015 21:07 <\/span>
\n <\/p><\/div>\n
\n

Reuters \/ Ronen Zvulun <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

The EU has criticized Israel for recently approving the construction of 900 new settler homes in East Jerusalem, joining the US and Palestinian condemnation of Tel-Aviv’s settlement policies.<\/p>\n

\n “Israel’s determination to continue its settlement policy
\n despite the urging of the international community not only
\n threatens the viability of the two state solution but also
\n seriously calls into question its commitment to a negotiated
\n agreement with the Palestinians,”<\/em> the EU said in a statement
\n on Saturday.\n<\/p>\n

\n “Settlements are illegal under international law,”<\/em> the
\n statement stressed.\n<\/p>\n

\n Jerusalem’s district planning committee issued a fresh batch of
\n construction approvals on Wednesday, according to settlement
\n watchdog Peace Now.\n<\/p>\n

\n The new homes are to be built in Ramat Shlomo, an ultra-Orthodox
\n settlement neighborhood nestled in mostly Arab East Jerusalem,
\n Hagit Ofran, a spokesman for Settlement watchdog Peace Now, told
\n AFP.\n<\/p>\n

\n The move came shortly after re-elected Israeli PM, Benjamin
\n Netanyahu, struck a deal with Jewish Home (Bayit Yehudi), a
\n Zionist pro-settlement party, to form a new rightwing-religious
\n coalition government.\n<\/p>\n

\n The Palestinian authorities condemned the new government, with
\n senior Palestinian official, Nabil Shaath, calling it a
\n “colonial settler cabinet.”<\/em>\n<\/p>\n

\n Israeli settlement plans were slammed by Washington on Thursday,
\n with US State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke calling them
\n “a disappointing development.”<\/em>\n<\/p>\n

\n
\n READ MORE: Israel approves construction of 900 settler homes in
\n E. Jerusalem – NGO<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\n “We’re concerned about it just as a new Israeli government
\n has been announced. Moving forward with construction of housing
\n units in East Jerusalem is damaging,”<\/em> Rathke stressed.\n<\/p>\n

\n “We continue to engage with the highest levels of the Israeli
\n Government, and we continue to make our position clear that we
\n view this as illegitimate,”<\/em> he added.\n<\/p>\n

\n The Israeli interior ministry first voiced plans to build 1,600
\n settler homes in Ramat Shlomo back in March 2010.\n<\/p>\n

\n That announcement was made during US Vice President Joe Biden’s
\n visit to Israeli, and led to a cool down in relations between
\n Tel-Aviv and Washington, which lasted for months.\n<\/p>\n

\n Israel captured East Jerusalem back in 1967 and later annexed it,
\n but the international community has never recognized the move.\n<\/p>\n

\n Stepping up the pace of settlement construction was one of the
\n key points in Netanyahu’s re-election campaign last March.\n<\/p>\n

\n The Palestinians say no peace deal is possible until Israel
\n withdraws from occupied Palestinian territories and recognizes
\n East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital.\n<\/p>\n

\n Israel, however, considers the whole of Jerusalem to be its
\n spiritual capital, and thus an indivisible part of the Jewish
\n state.\n<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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