Israel confiscates 1,000 acres of W. Bank land:
The Israeli military-run Civil Administration has announced a land appropriation of some 400 hectares in the West Bank to an almost immediate condemnation from anti-settlement activists, who say this is the biggest seizure in 30 years. Ref. Source 6
Israeli squatters take over 25 homes in occupied E.Jerusalem: residents
Israeli settlers forcefully took over 25 apartments in Arab east Jerusalem Tuesday, residents and Palestinian leaders said, with the new occupants claiming they had legitimately bought the properties. Ref. Source 9
It's the settlements, stupid:
As the resounding British 'Yes' vote on Palestine underlined, empathy for Israel's vital interests is being eroded by anger at the expansion of building over the Green Line. "Who can defend settlement building - the colonization of another country? We are talking about 600,000 Israeli settlers planted on Palestinian soil." Ref. Source 5
Official: Unilateral Israeli actions will lead to 'explosion':
Palestinian officials strongly condemned Israel on Monday after it announced plans for 1,000 new settler homes in East Jerusalem. Jibril Rajoub, a senior member of Fatah, warned of violent consequences likely to follow the latest settlement plans. Ref. Source 7
US calls Israel illegal settlement plans unfortunate:
The US response came after a panel of the Israeli interior ministry gave approval on Monday for the new homes in Ramat Shlomo, a neighbourhood built on occupied West Bank territory captured in the 1967 war and annexed to Jerusalem. Ref. Source 6
So it is unfortunate but what is America going to do about it? We give a lot of help to Israel but it doesn't mean they have to step out bounds and agreements to cause friction. We want the war there between Palestinians and Israelis to stop.