Ban Ki-Moon: Israel plan to build homes in East J'lem 'unhelpful'

Haaretz 00:06 07/12/2007
By The Associated Press and Reuters

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon slammed on Thursday Israel's plan to build more than 300 new homes in an East Jerusalem neighborhood. "This new tender for 300 new homes in eastern Jerusalem, so soon after the Annapolis Middle East peace conference, I think is not helpful," Ban said, noting that the United Nations had a consistent position on the illegality of such settlements. The new housing would expand Har Homa, a Jewish neighborhood in an area Palestinians claim as capital of a future state. The Palestinians call the area Jabal Abu Ghneim.

The future of Jerusalem is one of the most contentious issues facing Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in peace talks that are supposed to resume this month, following the landmark Middle East conference in Annapolis, Maryland. An Israeli government spokesman has said the plan does not contravene Israel's commitment under a U.S.-sponsored "road map" for peace with the Palestinians. Palestinian officials say it could damage the peace process re-launched under U.S. patronage at the peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland last week. Palestinian officials have appealed to the U.S. to block the project. Under the road map, Israel has committed to stop settlement activity in the occupied West Bank, but distinguishes between that area and Jerusalem, whose municipal boundaries were expanded after the 1967 war and included a number of Arab neighborhoods and villages around the city. The site of the new building lies between Arab East Jerusalem and the West Bank city of Bethlehem to the south. Jordan also condemned Israel's housing plan, the official Petra news agency said. Jordanian State Minister for Information, Nasser Judeh, said the Israeli measure contravenes international resolutions that consider the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as occupied territories. He said the Israeli move would increase tension and threaten efforts to start direct negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis, build confidence between them and push the peace process forward leading to the establishment of a viable Palestinian state and a just and lasting peace in the region. Judeh urged the Israelis to immediately halt the buidling plans. Judeh added Jordan totally rejects the Israeli action and believes that the Jewish state's failure to meet its obligations under the road map peace plan and persistence in building settlements, are major obstacles to achieving serious progress in the peace process.