UN to discuss proposal against Israel's settlement expansion

WASHINGTON – The UN Security Council is set to convene next week to discuss a proposal calling on Israel to halt the expansion of "illegal West Bank settlements".

The proposal, which has been pushed in recent weeks by a number of Arab countries, mainly Saudi Arabia, followed Israeli Housing Minister Ze'ev Boim's announcement according to which 800 new housing units would be built in Har Homa and Givat Ze'ev.

The plan was immediately slammed by UN chief Ban Ki-moon, who said it constituted a violation of international law. The US and Europe also criticized the announcement, and members of the Arab League began working toward gaining support for a UN condemnation of the expansion plans.

The US-backed Road Map for peace initiative and the Quartet call for the freezing of Israeli settlement construction, but it remains unclear how the European Union would react to a Security Council resolution against Israel. The US is expected to use its veto power to thwart the proposal before it reaches the Security Council.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is due to arrive in Israel on Saturday to discuss the issue with senior government officials. Referring to Israel's settlement expansion plans, President George W. Bush told a French television station recently that it is in the Palestinians' interest to establish a state that would "not look like Swiss cheese".

I hope they pass it. I hope they pass every anti-Israel, Jew-hating resolution they can come up with. I want Israel snapped out of its world-opinion-worshipping appeasement mentality. Israel out of the UN.

Israel is not going to stop building in Jerusalem or in the settlement blocs it intends to keep in any peace agreement. Israel has never promised to stop building in those areas.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

2 posted on 06/12/2008 3:40:29 PM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)

To: dennisw; Cachelot; Nix 2; veronica; Catspaw; knighthawk; Alouette; Optimist; weikel; Lent; GregB; ..

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3 posted on 06/12/2008 5:04:57 PM PDT by SJackson (It is impossible to build a peace process based on blood, Natan Sharansky)

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