PA says building new settlement units in Jerusalem danger to peace

Sunday June 01, 2008 18:08 by Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies

The Palestinian Authority (PA) considered on Sunday the Israeli government's decision to build 820 housing units in the Abu Ghonaim hilltop in the occupied east Jerusalem, as a 'danger to peace-making'.

PA's spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudaina

Spokesman of the PA's presidency, Nabil Abu Rodaina, said that the settlement plan constinutes a blatant violation of the Geneva Fourth Convention of 1949, and the international court of justice's verdict that any new building or transformation of a given place is a violation of international law

"Such plans are grave Israeli moves that directly impact the underway entire peace process and disclose the Israeli government's apathy to international legitimacy and even to previous internationally-witnessed signed peace agreements with the Palestinians", Abu Rodaina went into saying.

The Palestinian leadership in Ramallah also voiced an outspoken rejection and condemnation of the Israeli settlement plans on the occupied east Jerusalem and the rest of occupied Palestinian territories.

" Hence, the Palestinian leadership now believes that the peace process can not advance unless Israel halts, once and for all, all its settlement activities", Abu Rodaina maintained.

He also called on the American administration and the Quartet committee for Middle East peace, to take a firm stance towards such 'grave' Israeli plans that 'threaten the future of peace in the region'.

According to terms of the 2003's U.S-drafted peace blueprint known as the Road Map, Israel should halt all settlement activities and return the situation back prior to the September28,2000, when Palestinian-Israeli violence broke out.

Last November, Washington revived stalled Palestinian-Israeli peace talks on basis of a two-state solution on lands Israel occupied in 1967, including the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.

Underway Israeli settlement activities preempt such final status talks, which Washington wants to conclude by the end of 2008

ramallah | peace process | news report rami at imemc dot org