Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in the face of international condemnation, has claimed his country has the “right to build” in Jerusalem. He said: “Jerusalem is not a settlement, it’s our capital. The Jewish people were building Jerusalem 3,000 years ago and the Jewish people are building it today.”
The Palestinian Authority is furious at Israel’s determination to continue building homes for Jewish settlers in the occupied territories – a decision which it says has derailed the peace process. Israel’s move has also been condemned by the United Nations, the European Union and Russia.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the expansion of the settlements undermined the peace process. She said Israel had to make “difficult” choices if it wants peace with its neighbours.
Israel began building the settlements after the Six Day War in 1967. More than 280,000 Israelis now live in 121 government-sanctioned settlements on the West Bank with a further 190,000 in settlements in occupied East Jerusalem. There are another 102 settlements which are not officially recognised by the Israeli government.
