Israel to Expand West Bank Settlement in Violation of Pledge to U.S.

[Purveyor]

JERUSALEM — The Israeli government on Monday published plans to build 44 homes in Israel's largest West Bank settlement, violating a pledge to the United States as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was in the region on a peace-seeking mission.

The Housing Ministry published ads in Israeli newspapers asking developers to bid on the construction project in Maaleh Adumim, a community of more than 30,000 people outside Jerusalem.

Freezing settlement construction in the West Bank is a key element of the long-stalled "road map" plan for Mideast peace, which both Israel and Rice championed vigorously in public statements during her three-day visit.

U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack, who was traveling with Rice, said he wasn't aware of the bid. But he added: "Our policy hasn't changed."

In a published interview, Rice expressed general U.S. displeasure with settlement expansion.

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http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,243714,00.html

[Kagemusha]

1. Just once, it'd be nice for a govt not to treat a pledge as a pleasant story

but instead as a commitment.

A quick look at the state of affairs with aid for the tsunami two years ago quickly demonstrates that governments are addicted to renouncing their word.

[endarkenment]

2. Another stunning diplomatic success for the barren slut Rice.

Rumor has it that a special womb for her will be built at the Dumbass Lie-bury as soon as they can find a university that will accept it.

[Tom Joad]

5. Nothing to do with Rice. Israel has always said one thing, then done another.

Very rarely has Israel ever stopped or even slowed the building of settlements. I think it is mostly lipservice on both sides anyway. A US sec. of State or president says the settlement building should stop (so as to look good as they go to Jordan or Egypt), Israel promises to do so, but then expands them anyway, giving some kind of lame excuse. 400,000 illegal settlers in the West Bank.

Bush the First actually did the most to stop settlement building, when he threatened to hold up aid. But most presidents would announce that that they don't believe in god on national tv before really doing something concrete to stop the settlements. Just ain't going to happen. It will take massive people power to make it happen.

[endarkenment]

6. Well of course that is true.

But if there is any opportunity to utter the phrase "vile barren slut rice" then I'm there.

Besides that, that vile barren slut Rice has been a remarkable failure at every post she has held in the administration. She is pushed out into the public view as if she were some sort of marvel, a genius, when in fact she appears instead to be frozen forever in 12 year old piano recital girl mode, and has a track record of one disaster after another.

She should stick to buying shoes, it is the only thing she appears to be good at.

[whoneedstickets]

3. Why this ISN'T aparthied...

Because the Israelis are building settlements on stolen Palestinian land, not forcing the Palestinians into homeland settlements on Israeli land. The more appropriate metaphor for this action is what we European settlers did to the Indians. Of course, once the Israelis claim ALL the land and begin to segregate the Palestinians into semi-sovereign reservations (to keep their majority population from voting in Israeli elections), then Carter will be right. So its simply a matter of time.

[idontwantaname]

4. Maaleh Adumim is a very ideological and hostile settlement block

its main purpose is to cut the west bank into thirds. access to the southern west bank will be nonexistent. travel to e.jerusalem will be impossible. all the israelis need to do is sit back and watch the palestinians in hebron shrivel up and die.