Quartet for Middle East Peace 'concerned' over Israeli settlement expansion

In a concurrent meeting with the Paris donor's conference Monday, representatives from the four bodies that make up the Quartet for Mideast Peace: the U.S., Russia, the U.N. and the E.U. issued a statement condemning Israel's plan to expand a West Bank settlement.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

Israel announced last week that the government has approved 300 new units in the settlement of Har Homa, which is located near Bethlehem on illegally-seized Palestinian land.  The Israeli authorities claim that Har Homa is "not a settlement", but Palestinians who hold title to the land on which Har Homa is built claim that it is a settlement, built illegally on their land.

 

According to the statement released by the Quartet, "Principals called for all sides to refrain from steps that undermine confidence and underscored the importance of avoiding any actions that could prejudice the outcome of permanent status negotiations."

 

The statement specifically referenced the 300 units approved for construction in Har Homa.  The Quartet did not, however, discuss a planned 1200-unit development that is going ahead next to the settlement of Ma'ale Adumim, east of Jerusalem.  The Quartet also did not discuss the five illegal settlements that have been constructed over the last week in various parts of the West Bank -- settlements that are not condoned by the Israeli government, but which the Israeli government has made no effort to prevent or remove.

 

The meeting was attended by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana, Portuguese Foreign Minister Luis Amada (the current EU presidency holder) and EU Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner.