Occupied Palestinian East Jerusalem
Posted by Jon King on Feb 26, 2010
Israeli settlement expansion continues in occupied East Jerusalem…
An Israeli planning committee has pushed forward plans for 600 new homes in mainly Arab occupied East Jerusalem.
The move comes as the Palestinians are refusing to restart peace talks unless Israel stops all building in the area, where they want their future capital.
The plan will expand the Pisgat Zeev settlement in the city’s north-east.
The international community considers East Jerusalem occupied territory. Building on occupied land is illegal under international law.
Palestinians and the international community regard Pisgat Zeev as a settlement, but Israelis see it simply as a suburb of Jerusalem.
On Friday it emerged that an Israeli regional planning committee had voted last month to push the scheme forward.
It approved the plan for publication, after which the public can raise objections during a designated period.
Actual building work would be unlikely to begin for at least one or two years.
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image: WikiMedia Commons