Israel Matzav

New city planned between Jericho and Ramallah

A new city has been planned between Jericho and Ramallah, and of course, the world is outraged and screaming how this violates the long-dead 'road map' and how it tries to pre-determine the outcome of negotiations and how it prejudices the 'final status' and .... Never mind. This is a 'Palestinian' city and because of that, the world has nothing but praise and financial support to contribute.

A meeting took place this week in the Herzliya home of U.S. Ambassador to Israel Richard H. Jones. Participating were Defense Minister Amir Peretz, the American consul-general in Jerusalem, and Israeli and PA delegations.

Abdel Malek Jabbar, head of the organization called Palestinian Communication Group, presented the idea of a new city at the meeting. If located between Ramallah and Jericho, as proposed, it would have to be built on Israeli-controlled land.

Land in Judea and Samaria is divided into three categories: Area C under total Israeli control, such as the Jewish communities, army bases, and state-owned lands; Area B, under Israeli military control but Palestinian Authority civilian control, such as areas in and around many Arab villages; and Area A, under full Palestinian Authority control - cities such as Shechem (Nablus), Jericho, Kalkilye, Ramallah, most of Hevron, and more.

There is currently barely any Area B or A between Ramallah and Jericho. What this means, writes Arutz-7 correspondent Haggai Huberman, "is that the PA wishes to steal additional lands from those that are controlled by Israel."

...

Building the city would cost $33 million, according to preliminary estimates, and would be planned for 50,000 residents. Jabbar later said that the American ambassador responded positively to the idea and said he would discuss it with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice when she arrives in Israel next week.

But there's no double standard now, is there?

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 3:56 AM