Israel Approves 1,400 New Housing Units In Occupied Territories by Sonny Jones

Israeli authorities gave a go-ahead for the construction of some 1.400 new housing units in the occupied territories.

The approval was given the green light despite opposition from an Israeli Minister who see the move as a bad idea.

Israeli spokesman, Arik Ben Shimon said 801 units of new homes were approved for West Bank settlements, including 227 in Efrat, 169 in Elkana and 40 in Ariel.

According to the Times of Israel, additional 86 units will be built in Karnei Shomron, Alfei Menashe 78, Adam 75, Beiter Illit 24, and Emanuel 102. Ramat Shlomo a Jerusalem neighborhood over the Green Line, would also host 600 units.

Today’s announcement was made despite even though Israel released as recently as late December, 26 long-serving Palestinian prisoners as part of a deal made at the start of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

Typical of Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has made such moves before, the announcement did not come as a total surprise.

Reports say the new approvals were issued to "blunt criticism of recent prisoner releases at home", especially because many of the released were convicts guilty of killing Israeli civilians and soldiers.

"This time, the announcement was apparently postponed until after a visit by US Secretary of State John Kerry, who was in the region last week.", Times of Isreal reported.

Mr. Kerry was in region to push through a framework for the peace agreement agreement as positive step towards establishing a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

As expected, the Palestinian Authority came out strongly against the announcement.

In an official statement, the PLO was quoted as saying “This shows Israel’s clear commitment to the destruction of peace and imposition of an Apartheid system,”

The PLO said “The recent announcement by the Israeli government of new settlements in occupied State of Palestine is a slap to Mr. Kerry’s efforts and a clear message by Israel’s Prime Minister [to Kerry] is: ‘Don’t continue with your peace efforts,”

Israeli Finance Minister, Yair Lapid also decried the announcement as empty. He said “This is not only a bad idea, but is also one that Yesh Atid will do everything it can to ensure it remains only a bad idea that is not carried out.”

Isaac Herzog, leader of Israeli Labor Party also kicked against the announcement on the grounds it would have been better to simply freeze the building programme and keep the prisonerslocked.

It is doubtful whether the opposition will make any difference to the Israeli PM though.

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* Photo credit: Times-of-Israel/AP/Tara Todras-Whitehill.