GAZA CITY, 18 August 2004 — The Israeli government yesterday issued bids for 1,000 new homes in West Bank settlements.
US officials said they expected Israel to abide by the road map which calls for a construction freeze in Jewish settlements.
There has been growing tension between Israel and the United States in recent weeks over the West Bank settlements, both over the ongoing construction in the settlements and Israel’s failure to dismantle “rogue outposts”.
The State Department said it was studying the details of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s plan, but stressed that Israel was well aware of US concerns about the Jewish state abiding by the road map. “We are studying the details regarding the tenders that have been issued by the government of Israel,” deputy spokesman Adam Ereli told reporters in Washington. “Our concern is to determine whether these tenders are consistent with the government of Israel’s previous commitments on settlements.”
US Embassy spokesman Paul Patin said a US delegation was expected to arrive next month to “monitor Israel’s compliance with the road map in terms of settlement activity.”
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s decision to issue the tenders comes as he is facing a growing rebellion in his Likud party. Party hard-liners oppose his plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip by 2005, and to bring the moderate Labor party into his fragile coalition. The party’s Central Committee is to vote today on a possible alliance with Labor, and Sharon could easily lose the vote.
Housing Ministry spokesman Kobi Bleich said the new homes are to be built in four West Bank settlements — Karnei Shomron, Ariel, Maaleh Adumim and Beitar Illit. Sharon has said he wants to annex large West Bank settlement blocs to Israel as part of a future peace deal. Bleich denied that Kiryat Arba and Geva Binyamin were on the list. He said the six settlements earmarked for expansion are within “the Israeli consensus,” meaning they are among those Israel plans to keep in any scenario.
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat’s media adviser Nabil Abu Rudainah denounced the new Israeli decision and asked the international community to intervene to halt construction.
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the Israeli move was “in total defiance of the road map and total defiance of Bush’s vision”. Settlement and peace do not go together, Erekat added.
The Israeli Peace Now organization also condemned the issue of tenders, saying, “Sharon has decided to scoff at his own government’s promise to freeze construction in settlements. Rather than disengagement, he is carrying out massive occupation in the West Bank.”
— Additional input from agencies
