Arab League chief deplores Israel's new settlement plan in E. Jerusalem

CAIRO, Aug 21 (KUNA) -- Arab League Secretary-General Ahmad Aboul-Gheit decried on Thursday the recent decision of the Israeli occupation authorities to endorse a plan for Jewish settlement expansion aiming to separate the holy city of Jerusalem from the rest of the occupied Palestinian West Bank.
The "E1 settlement project" obstructs communication among the West Bank territories and undermines the hope of establishing an independent Palestinian state, Aboul-Gheit said in a statement.
The plan constitutes a real threat to the opportunity of setting up a viable Palestinian state based on the two-state solution, he noted, calling for international action to confront this project.
Keeping the two-state solution is a top priority, and any alternative would fuel violence and instability, he stated. The Israeli occupation supreme planning council had approved a settlement construction plan to build more than 3,401 units and a new settlement. (end) mm.maa.hm