MK Dov Khenin (Hadash) has chimed in with criticism of the government’s decision to release tenders for the construction of 198 new housing units in the Efrat and Kiryat Arba settlements, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “not giving a damn about the world.”

“Netanyahu doesn’t stop on red light,” he said. “He is determined to show that he doesn’t give a damn about the world and goes as far as to ignore criticism from friends of the Israeli government. This policy is dangerous and destructive. Instead of building in the settlements, the time has come to build inside Israel.”

A demonstrator waves a Palestinian flag as he looks over the Separation Wall and Kyriat Sefer settlement during the weekly protest against the Wall and the occupation in the West Bank village of Bil’in, December 28, 2012 (Photo: Activestills)

According to “Peace Now”, the current government, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, took office on March 31, 2009 and in the period since, its policies and actions in the West Bank and East Jerusalem disclose a clear intention to use settlements to systematically undermine and render impossible a realistic, viable two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

These policies and actions include: Construction, tenders, approval of future construction, and planning for future construction in settlements located deep inside the West Bank, east of the approved route of Israel’s separation barrier; A record level of tenders, approval of future construction, and planning for future construction in settlements in East Jerusalem; Construction, tenders, approval of future construction, and planning for future construction in settlements in both the West Bank and East Jerusalem whose location renders their expansion especia      lly problematic if not devastating to a future peace agreement; Adopting a formal policy that favors “legalizing” illegal settlement construction – leading both to additional illegal construction and new illegal outposts, and to the establishment of new settlements for the first time in decades and referential funding for settlers and settlements, including funding projects intended to build support among Israelis for keeping settlements – including settlements deep inside the West Bank – as a “permanent part” of Israel.

Related:

                   http://peacenow.org.il/eng/sites/default/files/summary-of-4-years-of-netanyahu-government.pdf