SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
The Jewish settlement of Pisgat Zeev in East Jerusalem, on August 11, 2011. (AFP/Ahmad Gharabli)
Israel Approves Hundreds of Illegal Settlement Homes Ahead of Obama Visit
Obama 'to reaffirm the deep and enduring bonds' between US, Israel
Feb 11, 2013
Israeli officials gave the final stamp of approval for hundreds of new settler homes in the West Bank over the weekend, signaling the country's refusal to cease its illegal expansion in the West Bank ahead of a recently scheduled visit by US president Barack Obama.
The Israeli defense ministry on Sunday said it has given the green light for the construction of 346 new settler homes in two settlements in the southern West Bank.
"The defense ministry has approved plans for 200 housing units in Tekoa and 146 housing units in Nokdim," the ministry said.
Additionally, reports surfaced on Monday that Israel has given the final approval for 90 new homes in the Beit El settlement near Ramallah.
The moves, which defy condemnation from an ever growing international community, come days after the White House announced that Obama will visit Israel in March for the first time in his presidency in a bid to "to reaffirm the deep and enduring bonds between the United States and Israel," White House spokesman Jay Carney stated last week.
Israel has continued to refuse to go forward on stalled peace talks with Palestine unless it can continue its illegal West Bank expansion and control over East Jerusalem.
Construction of the new houses in the Beit El settlement near Ramallah could begin within a few days, officials said.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Jacob Chamberlain
Jacob Chamberlain is a former staff writer for Common Dreams. His website is www.jacobpchamberlain.com.
Israeli officials gave the final stamp of approval for hundreds of new settler homes in the West Bank over the weekend, signaling the country's refusal to cease its illegal expansion in the West Bank ahead of a recently scheduled visit by US president Barack Obama.
The Israeli defense ministry on Sunday said it has given the green light for the construction of 346 new settler homes in two settlements in the southern West Bank.
"The defense ministry has approved plans for 200 housing units in Tekoa and 146 housing units in Nokdim," the ministry said.
Additionally, reports surfaced on Monday that Israel has given the final approval for 90 new homes in the Beit El settlement near Ramallah.
The moves, which defy condemnation from an ever growing international community, come days after the White House announced that Obama will visit Israel in March for the first time in his presidency in a bid to "to reaffirm the deep and enduring bonds between the United States and Israel," White House spokesman Jay Carney stated last week.
Israel has continued to refuse to go forward on stalled peace talks with Palestine unless it can continue its illegal West Bank expansion and control over East Jerusalem.
Construction of the new houses in the Beit El settlement near Ramallah could begin within a few days, officials said.
Jacob Chamberlain
Jacob Chamberlain is a former staff writer for Common Dreams. His website is www.jacobpchamberlain.com.
Israeli officials gave the final stamp of approval for hundreds of new settler homes in the West Bank over the weekend, signaling the country's refusal to cease its illegal expansion in the West Bank ahead of a recently scheduled visit by US president Barack Obama.
The Israeli defense ministry on Sunday said it has given the green light for the construction of 346 new settler homes in two settlements in the southern West Bank.
"The defense ministry has approved plans for 200 housing units in Tekoa and 146 housing units in Nokdim," the ministry said.
Additionally, reports surfaced on Monday that Israel has given the final approval for 90 new homes in the Beit El settlement near Ramallah.
The moves, which defy condemnation from an ever growing international community, come days after the White House announced that Obama will visit Israel in March for the first time in his presidency in a bid to "to reaffirm the deep and enduring bonds between the United States and Israel," White House spokesman Jay Carney stated last week.
Israel has continued to refuse to go forward on stalled peace talks with Palestine unless it can continue its illegal West Bank expansion and control over East Jerusalem.
Construction of the new houses in the Beit El settlement near Ramallah could begin within a few days, officials said.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.