Israel OKs construction of more settlements

[Ken Burch]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/09/07/israel.settlements.barak.construction/index.html



JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has approved the construction of 455 housing units in the West Bank, his office said Monday.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has approved construction of housing units in the West Bank.

The move comes as Israel and the United States have been increasingly at odds over the settlement issue.

U.S. President Barack Obama has insisted Israel freeze all settlement activity as a necessary step toward advancing negotiations with Palestinians.

The Jewish settlements are spread throughout the Palestinian West Bank.


(...Yeah...that government wants peace.Yeah, sure, you betcha.)

[safeinOhio]

1. Time for the one state solution

one man(or woman) one vote.

[LeftishBrit]

2. That's like pie in the sky right now.

A peaceful one-state solution is impossible at the moment. If it were possible, great!; but if it were possible right now, there wouldn't be all these problems in the first place.

[subsuelo]

4. Israel has already created a single state

Through this ongoing settlement growth and breakup of Palestinian territory into smaller and smaller, separated enclaves.

So the reality on the ground is this: we have already arrived at a single state, with some reservation camps that Israel has forced the native Palestinian population into.

What to do about that those indigenous natives - that is the question. Grant them full and equal rights? Have some separate but equal system?

Or do we continue the way it is now: Apartheid

[LeftishBrit]

3. Ugh. I hope that the carrot/stick of American funding ends up being more important to them than the

support of the seriously loony parties in the coalition; but we shall see!

[wuushew]

5. I wish they would write these stories with a term other than "housing unit"

What does that even tell you? Are these settlements for families of four or ten? Are large complexes treated as one unit? The journalism is less than clear(on purpose?).

[henank]

6. Housing units can be either apartments or houses

Each housing unit houses one family. So there could be apartment blocks or most likely single or 2-family houses. Within settlements there might be single people, small families and large families, just like in any town.

[azurnoir]

7. So what families will they be housing

will Palestinians from say Ramallah be welcome to purchase these or even Arab Israeli who are Muslim or Christian citizens from Acre?
How about European or American Christians who mifgt have become Israeli citizens for that matter can they purchase and live in one these housing units?