Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Israel Announces New Settler Homes, Risking Biden's Anger
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 4 years ago on
January 11, 2021

Share

JERUSALEM — Israel on Monday advanced plans to build 800 new settler homes in the occupied West Bank, a move that could strain ties with the incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced the move, saying it would include 100 homes in a settlement where an Israeli woman was killed last month in an attack allegedly carried out by a Palestinian assailant.

The announcement will burnish Netanyahu’s right-wing credentials in a tough campaign ahead of March elections, but it could anger Biden, who is opposed to settlement expansion and has clashed with Israel over it in the past.

Israel captured the West Bank and east Jerusalem in the 1967 war, territories the Palestinians want for their future state. Nearly 500,000 Israelis live in settlements scattered across the West Bank. The Palestinians view settlements as a violation of international law and an obstacle to peace, a position with wide international support.

The Palestinian Authority’s Foreign Ministry condemned the latest announcement, accusing Israel of “racing against time” to build settlements before President Donald Trump leaves office.

Trump’s administration provided unprecedented support to Israel, including by abandoning a decades-old U.S. policy of opposing settlements. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last year became the first top U.S. diplomat to visit a West Bank settlement.

Biden has pledged a more even-handed approach in which he will restore aid to the Palestinians that was cut off by Trump and work to revive peace negotiations. The two sides have not held substantive peace talks in more than a decade.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid, who hopes to unseat Netanyahu in March, called the settlement announcement an “irresponsible step” that would spark a “battle” with the new U.S. administration.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a statement at the Israeli Knesset, or Parliament, in Jerusalem, Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020. Netanyahu said, “We did not want elections, but we will win.” (Yonatan Sindel/Pool Photo via AP)

The Greatest Threat to Netanyahu in the Coming Vote Comes From the Right

“The Biden administration has not yet taken office and the government is already leading us into an unnecessary confrontation,” he tweeted. “The national interest must also be maintained during elections.”

The greatest threat to Netanyahu in the coming vote comes from the right, where Gideon Saar, a former ally and staunch supporter of settlements, has broken away and vowed to end his long rule. Polls show Netanyahu’s Likud winning the most votes but falling short of a majority coalition in Israel’s 120-seat Knesset, or parliament.

The announcement said 100 homes would be built in Tel Manashe, a West Bank settlement where Esther Horgan, a 53-year-old mother of six, was killed last month while jogging in a nearby forest. Israel says it has detained a Palestinian suspect in the attack.

It was not immediately clear how soon the homes would be built, as such construction usually requires approval from several government bodies and a tendering process.

The announcement came as neighboring Egypt hosted the foreign ministers of Jordan, Germany and France to discuss ways of reviving talks aimed at a two-state solution, which is still widely seen as the only way of resolving the decades-old conflict.

Monday’s announcement of Israel’s settlement plans “does not create the environment conducive to the resumption of negotiations that are the only path to a two-state solution,” Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said.

In their joint statement, the ministers called for Israel to “immediately and completely cease all settlement activities, including in east Jerusalem.”

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

Protests Planned All Over the World Aimed at Donald Trump and Elon Musk

DON'T MISS

Average US Rate on a 30-Year Mortgage Dips to 6.64% for the Second Drop in 2 Weeks

DON'T MISS

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Christopher Robert Sharkey

DON'T MISS

Fresno Man Arrested in Armed Robbery After Search Warrant Executed

DON'T MISS

Diehard Baseball Fans in Sacramento Welcome Athletics and Hope They Stay Awhile

DON'T MISS

Carbon Monoxide Was Cause of Death of Brett Gardner’s Teen Son, Officials Confirm

DON'T MISS

Bettors Back Duke Men and UConn Women for National Championships

DON'T MISS

Flores Homers, Matos and Wade Also Go Deep to Help Giants Cap Sweep of Astros

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Authorities Need Help Finding Family of Alejandro Solis

DON'T MISS

Lilly Is a Young Terrier Who Loves Dogs, Cats, and People

UP NEXT

Flores Homers, Matos and Wade Also Go Deep to Help Giants Cap Sweep of Astros

UP NEXT

Israeli Strikes on Gaza Overnight Leaves More Than 50 Palestinians Dead

UP NEXT

Hungary to Exit ICC as Netanyahu Visits Amid Arrest Warrant Dispute

UP NEXT

Rubio Visits NATO Amid European Alarm Over Trump’s Agenda

UP NEXT

Trump Proposes Tax Deduction for Auto Loan Interest on US-Made Cars

UP NEXT

Western US Sees Sharp Increase in Extreme Weather Impact

UP NEXT

7-Year-Old Girl Was Killed by a Falling Boulder at a Lake Tahoe Ski Resort

UP NEXT

Israel’s Operations in Gaza Expands to Seize ‘Large Areas.’ Palestinians Say Dozens Killed

UP NEXT

Elon Musk Reclaims Top Spot on Forbes’ Billionaires List

UP NEXT

A Palestinian From the West Bank Is First Detainee Under 18 to Die in Israeli Prison, Officials Say

Fresno Man Arrested in Armed Robbery After Search Warrant Executed

45 minutes ago

Diehard Baseball Fans in Sacramento Welcome Athletics and Hope They Stay Awhile

2 hours ago

Carbon Monoxide Was Cause of Death of Brett Gardner’s Teen Son, Officials Confirm

2 hours ago

Bettors Back Duke Men and UConn Women for National Championships

2 hours ago

Flores Homers, Matos and Wade Also Go Deep to Help Giants Cap Sweep of Astros

2 hours ago

Fresno County Authorities Need Help Finding Family of Alejandro Solis

2 hours ago

Lilly Is a Young Terrier Who Loves Dogs, Cats, and People

2 hours ago

After Briefly Disappearing, TikTok Went Back to Normal. Or Did It?

2 hours ago

Fresno County Head-On Crash Sends Two to the Hospital

2 hours ago

Israeli Strikes on Gaza Overnight Leaves More Than 50 Palestinians Dead

3 hours ago

Protests Planned All Over the World Aimed at Donald Trump and Elon Musk

A global protest organized by the group “Hands Off!” is set for Saturday, calling on Donald Trump and Elon Musk to stop their in...

7 minutes ago

On April 5th, the "Hands Off!" group will hold an international protest, including a Fresno demonstration at Fashion Fair Mall, urging Donald Trump and Elon Musk to stop their influence over vital social programs and rights. (Hands Off!)
7 minutes ago

Protests Planned All Over the World Aimed at Donald Trump and Elon Musk

A for sale sign stands outside a home on the market in the Alamo Placita neighborhood Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, in central Denver. (AP File)
18 minutes ago

Average US Rate on a 30-Year Mortgage Dips to 6.64% for the Second Drop in 2 Weeks

Christopher Robert Sharkey is Valley Crime Stoppers' Most Wanted Person of the Day for April 3, 2025. (Valley Crimes Stoppers)
33 minutes ago

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Christopher Robert Sharkey

Johnny Hernandez, 38, was arrested in connection with an armed robbery at Adina Valley Market on April 1 and faces multiple felony charges, including robbery and assault with a firearm. (Fresno County SO)
45 minutes ago

Fresno Man Arrested in Armed Robbery After Search Warrant Executed

2 hours ago

Diehard Baseball Fans in Sacramento Welcome Athletics and Hope They Stay Awhile

2 hours ago

Carbon Monoxide Was Cause of Death of Brett Gardner’s Teen Son, Officials Confirm

2 hours ago

Bettors Back Duke Men and UConn Women for National Championships

2 hours ago

Flores Homers, Matos and Wade Also Go Deep to Help Giants Cap Sweep of Astros

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend