New construction plans prove Israel doesn’t want peace

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

U.S. must back up its ‘dismay’ by halting aid

(PALOS HILLS, IL 11/18/09) – By announcing plans to construct 900 housing units in illegally occupied East Jerusalem, Israeli officials proved Tuesday they are continuing to ignore calls by U.S. President Barack Obama to halt settlement activity.  Israeli officials unveiled plans to build the units in the Gilo neighborhood, which Israel illegally occupied in 1967 along with the rest of East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

In blatant violation of UN Resolution 242, which prohibits the acquisition of land through war and calls for the immediate withdrawal of Israel from all occupied territories, Israel continues to colonize the West Bank and East Jerusalem. It uses the illegal settlements as the justification for the illegal annexation of Palestinian land into Israel.

By announcing the Gilo plans, Israel is challenging President Barack Obama’s efforts to halt settlement activity and to establish peace talks. The fact that Israel continues to approve plans for settlement expansion in the West Bank and East Jerusalem - ­- in flagrant disrespect of President Obama’s stance -- proves Israel has never been a serious partner for peace. The move proves Israel wants to halt all efforts to establish peace with the Palestinians.

President Obama on Wednesday called the Gilo plans “dangerous,” saying Israel’s insistence on settlement construction threatened peace talks.

“I think that additional settlement building does not contribute to Israel's security, I think it makes it harder for them to make peace with their neighbors,” President Obama was quoted in published reports.

On Tuesday, White House officials said they were “dismayed” by the Gilo plans.

“At a time when we are working to re-launch negotiations, these actions make it more difficult for our efforts to succeed,” White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said in a statement. “The U.S. also objects to other Israeli practices in Jerusalem related to housing, including the continuing pattern of evictions and demolition of Palestinian homes.”

The American Muslims for Palestine strongly condemns Israel’s plans to construct 900 housing units in the Gilo neighborhood and calls for an immediate cessation of all settlement construction activity in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israel must respect President Obama's calls to cease settlement construction and agree to halt the activity.

While AMP applauds President Obama’s administration’s stance regarding the Gilo plans, we also call on President Obama to hold Israel accountable for its international law violations by threatening to withhold U.S. aid until compliance is reached and settlement construction is stopped.

CONTACT:
Dr. Hatem Bazian
Chairman, American Muslims for Palestine
Prof. of Ethnic and Near Eastern Studies, University of California, Berkeley
510.914.6722

Munjed Ahmed, Esq.
Vice chairman, American Muslims for Palestine
414.467.5452

The American Muslims for Palestine is a national, grassroots organization whose mission is to educate the American public about issues relating to Palestine and its rich, cultural heritage. For more information, contact Kristin Szremski, director of media and communications at 708.717.4180 or at [email protected].