Gilo Settlement

"LandepNews"

Gilo Settlement

Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu criticized on Thursday Israel’s plan to build 1,100 new homes in the Gilo neighborhood of Jerusalem. Davutoglu called this plan a “violation of the international law.”
He added that the plan of Israeli government to allow the building of other settlements in the territory the Palestinians claim for their state is indicative of the Israeli sincerity toward the peace negotiations with the Palestinians.
Davutoglu said that the fact that the Israeli continued their settlement construction program was prove of the correct timing and of the justification of the Palestinian bid for statehood, which was filed on Friday by the president Mahmoud Abbas and was sent to the Security Council commissions for verification.
The decision to approve the construction of new settlements was criticized by the United States, Europe and the Arab states, who said that this decision is sure to complicate efforts to restore peace and defuse crisis.
Britain and the European Union have demanded the Israeli cabinet to reverse that decision, and the US State Secretary called it a “counter-productive” measure.
Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu rejected all criticism on Wednesday, saying that Gilo is not a military outpost, nor a settlement, but a neighborhood of the city of Jerusalem.
He reminded that in all peace plans drafted so far Gilo is considered part of the city, and it should be no problem approving any settlements on it.
The Israeli prime minister said a few days ago that there is no chance that the settlement freeze be reinstated, adding that the previous 10-month freeze had been a gesture of good will on the part of the Israelis, but that the Palestinians attempted to take advantage of it by waiting for nine months and two weeks before they came to the negotiation table demanding another period of freeze.
He explained why Israel needs the colonies in the West Bank saying that it was the fact that the country’s territory was too small that leaves it defenseless. The width of Israeli territory, he said during the address at the UN headquarters, was of no more than 9 miles, which makes it impossible to mount a defense.
For that reason, Netanyahu said, the colonies in the West Bank should be seen as military bases, like the once pertaining to NATO.
Mahmoud Abbas complained on various occasions that the settlement building in the West Bank was fragmenting the land preventing the establishment of a state of the Palestinians.
Turkey and Israel downgraded their mutual ties to the point of cutting the diplomatic ties almost completely after the Palmer report and the refuse of Israel to apologize for the killing of nine Turkish nationals in May 2010 by the Israeli navy.
Turkey found itself in a new position after the commencement of the Arab Spring, as defender of the Arab interest, and especially of the Palestinians. It is looking for a leader position in the region and advocating the Palestinian cause seems like a good way to win the Muslims over to the Turkish side.

Thank's for link: