Israel may go ahead with settlement plans despite UN vote: Official
An Israeli official says the regime may press ahead with its plans to build thousands more illegal settler units in the occupied territories in blatant disregard of a recent anti-settlement resolution at the United Nations Security Council.
The Israeli anti-settlement NGO Ir Amim said on Tuesday that the Jerusalem District Zoning Committee will discuss on Wednesday the issuance of building permits for 618 settler units in East Jerusalem al-Quds.
Meir Turjeman, the deputy mayor of Jerusalem al-Quds, who also heads the committee, also said that there were no plans to cancel debates on settlement activities in response to the UN motion.
"We'll discuss everything that's on the table in a serious manner," he added.
He further told the daily Israel Hayom that Tel Aviv is “unfazed” by the UN resolution.
On Friday, the Security Council passed with 14 votes for and one abstention the landmark motion that called Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds a “flagrant violation of international law.”
Washington, which abstained from the vote, had used its veto power for years to protect Israel from UN criticism over its unauthorized construction activities in the occupied lands.
Outraged by the resolution, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the US of having conspired with the Palestinians to push for the vote.
Netanyahu also announced that Tel Aviv was considering a "plan of action" against the UN, without elaborating.
Additionally on Tuesday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the UN vote “proves that the world rejects the settlements, as they are illegal, in our occupied land including East Jerusalem."
He further expressed hope that the upcoming Mideast conference in France will set a timetable to end Israeli occupation.
The UN vote “lays the foundation for any future serious negotiation ... and it paves the way for the [so-called] international peace conference slated to be held in Paris next month,” he said.
Over half a million Israelis live in over 230 illegal settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories.
The presence and continued expansion of Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine has created a major obstacle for the efforts to establish peace in the Middle East.
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