Israel Plans Settlement on West Bank

Buy an ad on DigitalJournal.com

On Monday, the Israeli government published their latest plans that would see the construction of 44 new homes in Israel's largest West Bank settlement. This is a violation of the pledge made to the US as recently as last week when US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had a 3-day visit to the region.

An advertisement was placed in today's paper by the Housing Ministry asking developers to bid on a new construction project in the settlement of Maaleh Adumim. Maaleh Adumim is just outside of Jerusalem and already has more than 30,000 people living in it.

Freezing settlement construction in the West Bank is a key element of the long-stalled "road map" plan for Mideast peace. U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack, who was traveling with Rice, said he wasn't aware of the bid. But he added: "Our policy hasn't changed."

In a published interview, Rice expressed general U.S. displeasure with settlement expansion. "We are very committed to the road map and to the obligations there, and I talk all the time to the Israelis about their activity that is prohibited by the road map," Rice told the Palestinian daily Al-Quds.

The Palestinian response: "Building 44 new houses in the Maaleh Adumim settlement is one more Israeli violation of signed agreements with the Palestinians," said Khalil Tofakji, a former Palestinian negotiaton.

Once again, Israel's actions do not match their words.