Israel authorizes construction of 12 00 illegal settlement

\Israel has announced plans to construct nearly 1,200 new illegal settlement units on the occupied Palestinian territories, only three days before Palestinian and Israeli officials are to restart the so-called peace talks. Israeli Housing Minister Uri Ariel said on Saturday that 1,187 apartments had been given final approval. He went on to say that 793 apartments will be built in East al-Quds (Jerusalem) while 394 others are to be constructed in several neighborhoods of the occupied West Bank, including Maaleh Adumim, Efrat and Ariel. The Israeli housing minister further noted that the Tel Aviv regime will continue its settlement expansion activities. "We will continue to market housing.... This is the right thing at the present time, for Zionism and for the economy," Ariel stated. The measure is poised to effectively torpedo the attempts to kick-start the long-stalled negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian leaders, and deepen a climate of distrust between the two sides.