Israel Plans To Dismantle 10 Settlements Only
The Israeli Housing Ministry had earlier announced Friday, May 23, it has invited bidders to construct a new residential district in the largest Jewish settlement in the West Bank.
The plan to build 502 apartments in Maale Adumim settlement, near al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem), is Israel’s largest expansion project for a single settlement announced so far this year.
Under the roadmap for peace handed to the Israelis and Palestinians on April 30, Israel is required in the first phase to freeze all settlement building activities on occupied Palestinian land.
Yet, the Israeli municipality in occupied Jerusalem has submitted a plan to the Israeli Interior Ministry for a new Jewish settlement near the village of Abu Dis in Occupied East Jerusalem.
The new neighborhood would be called Kidmat Tziyon, include 230 housing units and two synagogues and cover 100 dunams (25 acres) on a hill overlooking the Palestinian parliament, the municipality spokesman’s office told AFP.
The new neighborhood would be built on land seized by Israel from Jordan and annexed in the 1967 Middle East war.
The anti-settlement Peace Now group has listed a total of 62 or 63 rogue settlements built in the West Bank since then, inhabited or not, according to AFP.
Full Implementation
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia urged Israel Monday to implement the ‘road map’ “in full” ahead of two decisive summits to be held by U.S. President George W. Bush with Arab and Israeli leaders On Tuesday and Wednesday.
“The implementation must be accurate and done without delays and bargains,” AFP quoted as saying the cabinet following its weekly meeting, headed by King Fahd.
"Israel’s acceptance of the ‘road map’ is an initial step that needs to be followed with serious and practical steps to manifest its actual compliance and true implementation of all its provisions," it added.
The Saudi cabinet said that the application of the peace plan should lead to a just, comprehensive and durable peace in the region and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with al-Quds as its capital.
The cabinet stressed the implementation should include acceptance of the Arab peace plan, authored by Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz and endorsed by the Arab summit in Beirut last March.
Riyadh, represented by the crown prince, will attend a first summit between Bush and several Arab leaders at Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh resort Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Bush will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Premier Mahmud Abbas in Jordan.
Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, Trade and Industry Minister Ehud Olmert and Justice Minister Tommy Lapid Sharon are expected to accompany Sharon in Jordan’s summit, AFP learnt.
