Israel Prepares to Build Hundreds of New Settlements Despite Opposition
- Updated Jan 23, 2017
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that Israel will be going forward with plans to build hundreds more settlements in East Jerusalem.
According to Christian Today, the area where the proposed settlements will be built is an area also claimed by the Palestinians.
Although many Israelis were discouraged by the U.S.-Israeli relations under the Obama administration, and particularly the recent U.S. decision to refrain from voting on an important U.N. resolution regarding Israeli settlements, many are looking forward to greater U.S. support for Israel under the new administration of President Donald Trump.
Netanyahu told senior ministers of his plans for the new settlements on Sunday.
"There is no longer a need to coordinate construction in the Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem,” stated Netanyahu. "We can build where we want and as much as we want. My vision is to enact sovereignty over all the settlements.”
Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with the newly-inaugurated Trump in early February in Washington D.C. A bill proposing Israel’s annexation of the West Bank settlement of Maale Adumim will reportedly be postponed until after that meeting.
Netanyahu spoke with Trump on Sunday and said the conversation was “very warm.”
Photo courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
Publication date: January 23, 2017
