LOC14:34
11:34 GMT
PARIS, Aug 11 (KUNA) -- The French government on Thursday issued a strong
statement condemning the approval by Israel to build a large number of new
housing units in a Jewish settlement in Jerusalem, a move that is a violation
of international law and will further imperil prospects for a resumption of
Middle East peace talks.
"We condemn the final approval given by the Israeli Interior Ministry with
a view to building 1,600 housing units in the Ramat Shlomo settlement in East
Jerusalem, a construction we have already condemned when announced in March
2010," a statement here said.
Israel has also said it intends to build 2,700 other new settlement units
in the near future and 900 others were approved recently in the disputed Jebel
Abu Ghneim area of East Jerusalem, which is destined to be the capital of the
new State of Palestine.
"Settlement-building in East Jerusalem, as well as in the West Bank, is
illegal in the eyes of international law, no matter what the justifications,
including when they pretend to answer socio-economic imperatives," the Foreign
Ministry said.
Israel has claimed that the settlement expansion is necessary to answer
social problems affecting its population, which recently has been massively
demonstrating to protest high cost of living and economic troubles.
But the expansion in Ramat Shlomo was already announced 17 months ago, well
before the recent social demonstrations in Israel.
The French government pointed out Thursday that the settlement projects
"constitute an additional obstacle in the path of a fair and lasting peace in
which Jerusalem must become the capital of two States, Israel and Palestine."
Separately, France said that all its proposals to help restart peace talks
were still current, including the proposal to hold a Donor Conference for
Palestine in early September in Paris.
"France has made a group of proposals to restart the peace process. These
proposals remain on the table," Foreign Ministry deputy spokeswoman Christine
Fages said, in answer to KUNA questions.
Fages called for ongoing financial support for the Palestinian Authority to
help it continue to build and consolidate the institutions for a future
Palestinian State. (end)
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