Israel postpones settlement approval in bid to calm relations with U.S.

Israel postponed a vote Wednesday to authorize construction of additional Jewish settlement homes in East Jerusalem to avoid straining U.S.-Israeli relations, a local official said.


Final approval for the building of 492 new homes in the primarily Palestinian but Israeli-occupied sector of the city was scheduled by the city's Municipal Planning and Construction Committee. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the committee to postpone the vote in an apparent attempt to soothe relations with the United States, The Washington Post reported Wednesday.

On Friday a United Nations Security Council resolution said the Israel settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, had "no legal validity" and were an impediment to reaching peace between Israelis and Palestinians. In a surprise, the United States chose to abstain from the unanimous vote, rather than side with Israel. The action by the United Nations, and the United States' abstention in the vote, infuriated Netanyahu to the point he summoned the ambassadors of the United States and the 14 Security Council members over the weekend. He recalled Israel's ambassadors from New Zealand and Senegal, cut aid to Senegal and canceled a visit from Ukrainian Prime Minister Vlodymir Groysman.

The postponement of the vote came at the request of Netanyahu, planning committee member Hanan Rubin told the BBC. Rubin added it was to avoid further straining Israeli relations with the United States prior to a major address on the Middle East by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. The address, scheduled for Wednesday, is expected to present Kerry's vision for peace between Israelis and Palestinians and focus on "misleading critiques" of U.S. President Barack Obama by the Israeli government.

More than 500,000 Israeli Jews live in small settlements, some legally mandated by Israel and others regarded as illegal, across East Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank. Built since Israel's 1967 occupation of the territory, they are regarded as illegal under international law and built on land Palestine will likely claim in the future as a state. East Jerusalem is regarded as a potential capital city for Palestine.
 [upi.com]
28/12/16
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