'Palestinians': 'No breakthrough'; Israelis: More building in 'east' Jerusalem?
US Secretary of State John Kerry made no breakthrough in talks on Sunday with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on efforts to resume Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, a senior Palestinian official said.In response to the 'Palestinians' refusal to compromise, Israel is going to move ahead with the construction of another 900 housing units in Jerusalem's Har Homa neighborhood.
"There is some progress but we can't say there's a breakthrough," said Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat after Kerry and Abbas ended their meeting.
According to the report, the [Jerusalem municipality's finance] committee is set to discuss paving streets and adding needed infrastructure for the neighborhood which has been in planning since 2011.
...
Likud chairman in the Jerusalem Municipality, Elisha Peleg praised the decision to advance the plans. "Despite the visit by US Secretary of State Kerry in the region, nothing prevents us from starting to build, because it has been proved that freezing building in Jerusalem did not help to renew negotiations with the Palestinians, and only served to worsen the housing crisis in the city."
Ma'ariv reported on Sunday that the municipality is scheduled to approve a tax discount on the new Har Homa housing units.
The reported tax break is expected to bring down the price of the housing units by thousands of shekels and cost the Housing and Construction Ministry some NIS 100 million.If only we would actually build. Actions should have consequences. But they probably won't.
Labels: Abu Mazen, East Jerusalem, Har Homa, Jerusalem construction, John Kerry, Saeb Erekat
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:17 PM
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