Despite American and international calls for freezing Jewish settlement expansion in the West Bank, the Israeli government this week authorised the building of hundreds of additional settler units on occupied Palestinian land. The decision, taken by Defence Minister Ehud Barak, represents a direct challenge to the Obama administration that has been urging Israel to freeze settlement building but to no avail.
The decision also seems to underscore Israel`s undeclared resolve to prevent the creation of a viable Palestinian state despite ostensibly insincere statements to the contrary by Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. The planned settler units will be built across the West Bank, including in the “Gush Etzion” area, north of Hebron and Maali Adomim east of Jerusalem.
