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Israel to expedite settlement construction in response to Palestinian UNESCO membership

Mercredi, 2 novembre 2011 - 6h31 AM

Wednesday 2 November 2011

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Netanyahu and “top ministers” decide to impose sanctions on Palestinian Authority after it was accepted to UN cultural body; 2,000 housing units to be built in major West Bank settlements.
By Barak Ravid Tags

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his forum of eight senior ministers decided Tuesday to initiate a new wave of settlement construction in the West Bank, as part of a wider set of sanctions Israel is planning to impose on the Palestinian Authority after it was accepted to UNESCO as a member on Monday.

Netanyahu’s office instructed Tuesday that the construction of 2,000 housing units planned in East Jerusalem, Gush Etzion, and Ma’aleh Adumim should be expedited.

“All of the mentioned areas are ones that would remain in Israeli control under any future peace agreement,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.

Officials in Netanyahu’s office said that the decision to increase settlement construction is solely an initial response to the Palestinians’ UNESCO membership, and there will be further discussions on the subject in the coming days.

On Monday, UNESCO accepted the Palestinian Authority as a full member of the organization.

In response, the U.S. decided to cut off funding for the UN cultural body. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Monday that since the vote triggered a long-standing congressional restriction on funding to UN bodies that recognize Palestine as a state before an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal is reached.

Following the vote on Palestinian membership, Israel also warned it will now reconsider its cooperation with UNESCO.

UNESCO is the first UN agency that the Palestinians sought to join as a full member since Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas applied for full membership of the United Nations on Sept. 23.

The motion to admit the Palestinians was passed at a UNESCO meeting in Paris, with 107 votes in favor, 14 against and 52 abstentions.

The United States, Canada and Germany voted against Palestinian membership. Brazil, Russia, China, India, South Africa and France voted in favor. Britain abstained.