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Israeli
Peace Now activists protest against Jewish settlement activity
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OCCUPIED
JERUSALEM, June 2 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Although the
U.S.-driven ‘road map’ for the Middle East peace demands Israel
freeze all settlement activity and dismantle all outposts built in the
West Bank since the Israeli Premier, Ariel Sharon, took office, the
Israeli government plans not to dismantle more than 10 settlements in
the West Bank.
"These
are settlements which were built without authorization and did not
receive one afterwards," Agence France-Press (AFP) quoted the
Israeli deputy defense minister, Zeev Boim, as saying Monday, June 2, in
reference to the ten outposts.
"Dismantlement
is only being considered for blatantly illegal settlements, which do not
exceed ten cases," Boim said, making it clear that the other
so-called wildcat settlements would not be dismantled.
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.
Earlier
in the day, an Israeli official said that the Middle East peace summit
in Jordan would
not release a joint statement because of basic differences on
the way ahead.
