More Nails.

[sealadaigh]

WASHINGTON – "The United States opposes all unilateral actions, including West Bank settlement activity and housing construction in east Jerusalem, as they complicate efforts to resume direct, bilateral negotiations, and risk prejudging the outcome of those negotiations," the State Department said in a statement Monday in response to Israel's plan to build an additional 3,000 housing units in Jerusalem and the West Bank.

"This includes building in the E-1 area, as this area is particularly sensitive and construction there would be especially damaging to efforts to achieve a two-state solution," spokesperson Mark Toner said.

The so-called E-1 zone refers to a stretch of land connecting Ma'ale Adumim with Jerusalem.

"We have made clear to the Israeli government that such action is contrary to US policy. The United States and the international community expect all parties to play a constructive role in efforts to achieve peace," Toner added.

Britain, France, Spain, Sweden and Denmark summoned the Israeli ambassadors in their capitals to hear appeals for Netanyahu to reverse course and deep disapproval of the plan to erect 3,000 more homes in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

The settlement plan, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, would deal "an almost fatal blow" to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

US: Settlement building 'complicates' peace efforts - Israel News, Ynetnews

the USA has broad shoulders and a strong back, but how much further can israel plunge the dagger in.

 

[georgephillip]

Translation for the terminally conservative readers..."we have to pretend like we care about your illegal building, but don't worry, Israel; keep buying our F-16s (with US taxpayer dollar$) and we got your back forever (or at least as long as US voters continue "choosing" between Republican OR Democrat in the voting booth).

"The 1993 Oslo Accords declared the final status of the West Bank to be subject to a forthcoming settlement between Israel and the Palestinian leadership. Following these interim accords, Israel withdrew its military rule from some parts of the West Bank, which was divided into three administrative divisions of the Oslo Accords..."

"Area A, 2.7%, full civil control of the Palestinian Authority, comprises Palestinian towns, and some rural areas away from Israeli settlements in the north (between Jenin, Nablus, Tubas, and Tulkarm), the south (around Hebron), and one in the center south of Salfit.[37]

"Area B, 25.2%, adds other populated rural areas, many closer to the center of the West Bank. Area C contains all the Israeli settlements, roads used to access the settlements, buffer zones (near settlements, roads, strategic areas, and Israel), and almost all of the Jordan Valley and the Judean Desert.

Areas A and B are themselves divided among 227 separate areas (199 of which are smaller than 2 square kilometres (1 sq mi)) that are separated from one another by Israeli-controlled Area C. [38]

"Areas A, B, and C cross the 11 Governorates used as administrative divisions by the Palestinian National Authority, Israel, and the IDF and named after major cities. The mainly open areas of Area C were to be handed over to the Palestinians by 1999 under the Oslo Accords. This was never done."

West Bank - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia