Israel plans settler homes to divide West Bank

Israeli policemen shot and killed a Palestinian as he tried to stab them in Jerusalem on Saturday, police said, while another Palestinian was shot dead in the West Bank after ramming his vehicle into a checkpoint, the military said, in the latest incidents in over three months of unrelenting violence.

Israel is working to revive and extend plans for new Jewish settler homes in the contentious area of the occupied West Bank known as E1, settler watchdog Peace Now said Monday.

Former Housing Minister Uri Ariel, during whose tenure the plans were conceived, did not have the necessary authorization to plan or build beyond the Green Line, the statement said, according to Lebanese Naharnet online newspaper.

“These plans therefore have no standing and are not binding on anyone”, it added.

To the north of E1 is another large settlement, Pisgat Ze’ev.

“In this connection we reaffirm the need for refraining from any unilateral steps that might further complicate Palestinian-Israeli relations and put a question mark over the principle of double-state settlement of the Palestinian problem, approved by the global community, including Israel”, the Foreign Ministry said.

Worldwide condemnation of settlement construction in the controversial area led Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cancel the tenders at the time.

Palestinians accuse Israel of using excessive force in trying to subdue assailants, who have carried out near-daily, seemingly spontaneous attacks against Israelis using knives, guns and cars.

Almost 600,000 Israelis live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The United States, the United Nations and the European Union oppose all Israeli settlement building but have voiced particular concern about plans for E1.

Peace Now said it had obtained the information from Israel’s Housing Ministry in response to a freedom of information request.