Tuesday 8 September 2009

Abdul-Qader: "U.S. stances weak, unable to stop settlement expansion"



Tuesday September 08, 2009 01:22 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Hatem Abdul-Qader, in charge of the Jerusalem file at the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, reported Monday that the week stances of the United States are not enough to oblige Israel to stop its illegal settlement activities.

Hatem Abdul-Qader

Abdul-Qader added that the Arab states must transfer the file of settlement to the Security Council due to the ongoing Israeli violations.

He also demanded the Palestinian Authority to stop the security coordination with Israel, and to refrain from holding any talks, on any level, with the country.

His statements came after Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, approved the construction of 450 housing units in West Bank settlements.

Also on Monday, Israel’s National Infrastructure Minister, Uzi Landau, slammed Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, for what he described as “partial plan to freeze settlement construction in the West Bank.

Landau said that the “Palestinians are occupiers”, and added that any limits on settlement activities are violations of human rights.

His statement came as fundamental Israeli lawmaker and hundreds of fundamental settlers were ‘celebrating’ the establishment of a new illegal settlement, and a settler-only road linking the occupied East Jerusalem with illegal settlements in its suburbs.

Israeli Supreme Court Judge, Eliyakim Rubenstein, and Information Minister, Yuli Edelstein, attended the illegal ceremony.

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