Quote:
Originally Posted by bily4
Just guessing...but it may have something to do with the fact they want to build homes on disputed land which Palestinians also consider theirs. So announcing they are building as the Peace Talks are going on could be considered counterproductive and excite the Palestinians...which I imagine they would be well aware of.
Is there some practical reason they could not wait a few weeks to announce this and break ground?
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bily4, all of israel is land "which Palestinians consider theirs."
In addition, further down in the article is this section, which would at least suggest that Israel has a legitimate argument in asserting its right to build settlements in Jerusalem:
The two sides agreed to base their peace talks on the U.S.-backed "road map," a peace plan that calls on Israel to halt all settlement construction.
The Palestinians consider any construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem to be settlement activity. Israel says the settlement freeze does not apply to Jerusalem.
"Israel makes a clear distinction between the West Bank and Jerusalem," said Mark Regev, spokesman for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. "Israel has never made a commitment to limit our sovereignty in Jerusalem. Implementation of the first phase of the road map does not apply to Jerusalem."
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