RAMALLAH/GAZA CITY, 1 June 2008 — Days before Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his departure for Washington, Israeli Housing Minister Ze’ev Boim announced late Friday that his ministry will issue a tender today for the construction of hundreds of housing units in two controversial East Jerusalem settlements: 120 units in Har Homa and 700 units in Pisgat Ze’ev.
Both Har Homa and Pisgat Ze’ev are under the jurisdiction of the Jerusalem municipality, but are situated in Palestinian territories. Tens of thousands of Jewish settlers currently reside in each of them.
Boim told the Israeli “Kol Hair” Radio that he was waiting for the authorization of the Defense Minister Ehud Barak before issuing an additional tender for the construction of 600 apartments in the settlement of Beitar Ilit, south of East Jerusalem, which is not under the jurisdiction of the Jerusalem municipality.
Earlier on Friday, Palestinian sources confirmed that Olmert will hold a meeting with Abbas before he leaves for Washington tomorrow.
The meeting will be closed, according to reports, without the negotiation teams headed by chief Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qorei and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni who heads the Israeli negotiations team.
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said yesterday that the meeting between the two leaders would include all final-status issues as well as Egyptian efforts to broker an unofficial truce between Israel and militants in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
Olmert is also expected to meet with members of his government today to decide whether to accept an Egyptian-moderated cease-fire which calls for calm between Israel and Hamas, Israeli Radio reported yesterday.
