| September 2000 - Return to Monthly Index MiddleEast.Org 9/13/00 |
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UPCOMING FROM MER TOMORROW: "Sharabi Serves Coffee - Million Dollar
Coffee" - A Palestinian Washington Scandal
BARAK NEARLY DOUBLES ILLEGAL SETTLEMENT CONSTRUCTION
MID-EAST REALITIES - www.MiddleEast.Org - Washington - 9/13:
Israeli lies and deceptions continue, and at an escalating pace.
New
figures just out reveal that under the Barak Government this year
illegal settlement construction is nearly double what it was under
the
Netanyahu government! Moreover, a whopping 72% of this construction
is in the all-important Jerusalem District, "creating more facts" that
make a continguous and real Palestinian State all but impossible.
The press has a historical memory these days lasting only weeks, certainly
not years! For indeed, this is the same pattern that has gone
on since
the 1970s. The right-wing comes to power openingly nsisting on
this and
that, especially more settlement building. Then the left, courting
public
opinion and liberal American Jewish money, comes back to power proclaiming
"peace" and "understanding" and "settlement freezes"...etc...but in
reality
pursues the same old Zionist policies often with even greater fervor.
"Good Cop/Bad Cop" -- and the Arabs, as well as much of the world press,
fall right into the political/reality traps time after time seemingly
obvious that it has all happened before, much the same. And even when
some
of the facts are put forward -- as in this Ha'aretz article published
yesterday -- always missing is the crucial perspective and analysis.
CONSTRUCTION IN THE SETTLEMENTS
INCREASED
BY 96 PERCENT DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THE
YEAR
By Nadav Shragai Ha'aretz Correspondent
Ha'artz, 12 Sept 2000:
Construction in the settlements increased by 96 percent during the first
half of the year, according to figures from the Housing and Construction
Ministry. The figures, released yesterday by MK Mussi Raz (Meretz),
show
that work began on 1,067 residential units in the first six months
of 2000,
compared to 545 units during the same period in 1999.
The statistics show that construction is underway on 860 residential
units
in settlements in the Jerusalem district and on 207 units in other
settlements around the country.
Since Ehud Barak's government took office in July 1999, ground has been
broken on 1,924 residential units in the settlements (1,384 in the
Jerusalem
district and 540 elsewhere), as opposed to 1,845 in 1998 and 1,160
in 1997.
The Yesha Council of Jewish Settlements in the territories notes that
most
of the construction is being carried out in areas that will remain
under
Israeli sovereignty if an agreement with the Palestinians is ever signed.
Raz believes that building in all settlements should be frozen, and
attacked
the tender issued yesterday for 80 living units in Har Adar. Yesha
thus
feels that Raz and the Peace Now movement are going even further than
the
plans Barak has presented to U.S. President Bill Clinton and Palestinian
Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat.
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