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April 30, 2014

Mideast Peace Talks Miss U.S. Deadline as Report Finds Massive Settlement Expansion 
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The United States has failed to meet Tuesday's self-imposed deadline for
a framework accord on a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinian
Authority. The Obama administration had hoped to reach an agreement on
the broad outlines of an eventual final settlement. But the talks have
repeatedly broken down over Israel's refusal to halt settlement
construction in the occupied West Bank. A new report from the Israeli
group Peace Now says Israel has laid plans for building nearly 14,000
settlement homes since resuming talks with the PA last July. Peace Now's
Lior Amichai said Israel has sought to prevent the establishment of a
Palestinian state.

Lior Amichai: "The report that we, the Peace Now movement in Israel,
issued today shows all that the government of Israel did in the past
nine months or since the negotiation period between Israel and the
Palestinians began. It shows that Israel promoted almost 14,000
different housing units in the West Bank settlements, if by publishing
new tenders or by promoting them through the different planning
procedures of the West Bank settlements. To us, it shows that the
government, the current government of Israel, does not have any
intention of reaching a two-state solution, but rather did all it can in
order to prevent such a thing."

On Tuesday, Israel carried out new demolitions in the West Bank,
destroying a mosque and three homes. The United Nations says Israeli
demolitions have displaced more than 400 Palestinians so far this year.

 

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