The Israeli Cabinet voted today to approve a large amount of additional funding for settlements in the West Bank. Though an exact dollar amount was not available, spokesmen said it would be several millions of dollars.
The funding will only be provided to a portion of the settlements, with a large amount reportedly planned for isolated settlements. Defense Minister Ehud Barak publicly ignored the deal.
“There are a number of small settlements that are routinely a source of extreme behavior,” Barak said. Late last week settlers from one of the isolated settlements attacked a nearby mosque, burning copies of the Qu’ran.
The Israeli government’s 10 month settlement “freeze” has been met with growing outrage among the settlements, and increasing promises of support from the government aimed at placating the key constituency.
