Israel approves list of priority settlements

On August 4, the Israeli Cabinet approved a new map of national priority areas with many small settlements outside the security fence, in the context of just one week left for peace talks with Palestine.

Communities that benefit from this national priority status will receive immediate funding for education, culture, sports and environmental protection. Meanwhile, the areas of housing, infrastructure, agriculture and rural development will have to be approved again due to Israel’s 2005 commitment to the US government not to encourage Israelis to move into settlements. Some of the newly designated communities are outside the major settlements, while others were considered illegal before being legalized by the Israeli Cabinet a few months ago.

Construction site of the Alon Jewish settlement in east Jerusalem on December 3. (Photo: AFP/VNA)

Of the 600 communities on the list, about 90 are located outside the Green Line, an increase of six from the national priority list adopted by Israel in 2012. However, the Israeli government has explained that the areas and communities on the list are not related to settlement expansion. Officials have insisted that any West Bank settlements that receive priority under the plan would need to be approved by the government a second time.

The list of priority areas was drawn up based on a number of criteria, including security, economic situation, location and distance from the border. Four Israeli ministers abstained from the vote, including Justice Minister and Chief Palestinian Peace Negotiator Tzipi Livni and Environmental Protection Minister Amir Peretz. Minister Peretz said that “this is not the right time” diplomatically and socio-economically to invest inappropriate amounts of money in new settlements that were until recently illegal.

Responding to Israel's new move, PLO Executive Committee member Hanan Ashrawi condemned the inclusion of settlements in the priority map as a "trust-destroying measure." Ashrawi stressed: "While Palestine cooperates with international efforts to find a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, Israel has responded once again by destroying the 1967 borders and violating international law." He accused Israel of trying to seize more Palestinian land and called for a strong international response.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' spokesman, Nabil Abu Rdainah, also strongly condemned Israel's actions and accused Israel of trying to hinder peace efforts. President Abbas has long demanded an end to Jewish settlement construction as a condition for continuing peace talks, but US Secretary of State John Kerry reached an agreement with the Palestinians after Israel decided to release 104 Palestinian prisoners./.

According to (TTXVN) - DT