Mar
Olmert approves settlement expansion
PHOTO: Nof Zion, an Israeli settlement in East Jerusalem, Franz Elzenbaumer, flickr
Israeli President Ehud Olmert just gave the OK for 750 housing units to be built in the West Bank settlement of Givat Ze’ev.
Olmert has barred ministries from approving new settlements without his approval, but this expansion will not likely go over well with Palestinians. Settlements are a key issue in the Arab-Israeli conflict because Palestinians want the West Bank in its entirety as part of a future Palestinian state.
The approval came days after a Jewish seminary was targeted by a Palestinian bomber, killing several students.
Housing minister Zeev Boim released a statement saying “The addition of hundreds of housing units is part of a policy aimed at meeting demand and keeping prices level, while addressing the demographic needs of Jerusalem.”
Condoleezza Rice made a trip to rally Palestinian Mahmoud Abbas back to the negotiating table after Israel’s recent offensive in Gaza that killed more than 120 Palestinians, many of them civilians.
The Bush administration has done little to allay the turbulent Arab-Israeli conflict, but what about the current candidates? Hillary Clinton already has some experience in that area of the world, but New York Times blogger Nicholas Kristof takes a look at what Obama might offer. Will any of the candidates make bold moves to change the status quo?
