The Jerusalem Planning and Construction Committee has approved another significant expansion in the occupied West Bank this week, signing off on another 891 housing units in the settlement of Gilo, adding to a previous April construction which expanded Gilo into a forested area.
The plan was tentatively approved by the Israeli government back in November, but final vote was delayed on it because of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trip to the US, as Israeli officials hoped to keep the latest expansion out of the headlines.
Israel often faces serious criticism of settlement expansions, but the moves to expand Gilo have been particularly controversial, as they appear to be designed specifically to block the possibility of a contiguous Palestinian state.
Officials didn’t address the Palestinian issue in the expansion announcement, but rather declared the move as an effort to “strengthen” Jerusalem by expanding settlements across the Green Line.
I've given up on the settlements issue.
There is one state there. It can't be untangled.
Now the subject is civil rights. And yes, that means the end of the "Jewish State." Their choice. If they don't like that, they shouldn't have done it.
Exactly right! After the initial theft of Palestinian land in 1948 and the occupation in 1967, the reality is that there is one racist state that oppresses and limits the rights of a large segment of the population while claiming to be a democracy.
If a mass movement were organized using tools like sanctions and boycotts as tools against all of Israel (not just the West Bank products) to recognize the West Bank, Gaza and Israel as one state, you would see the zionists worldwide become apoplectic. As you stated, they chose and want to expand Eretz Israel, now they should pay the price.
Connect the dots — more "settlements" in Palestine – more terrorism in America.
Once again the world stands by and does NOTHING……………………..
The Zionist onslaught continues and Nasty Yahoo, "Mr. Evil" impersonated, continues his holocaust of the Palestinian people. We are all guilty of looking the other way! Deja Vu all over again. We never learn!
BDS is the ONLY language these murderous Zionist vultures understand.
Wake up, America and finally do something meaningful !!