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Israel 'announces 2,500 new settler homes', signalling new approach under Donald Trump | Israel 'announces 2,500 new settler homes', signalling new approach under Donald Trump |
(35 minutes later) | |
Israel has approved the building of 2,500 new West Bank settlement homes, signalling a bold new policy approach now US President Donald Trump has taken office. | |
The Defence Ministry's announcement on Tuesday follows Sunday's decision to grant building permits for 566 new settler homes in East Jerusalem. | |
Most of the building will take place in existing blocs in order to satisfy housing demands, a statement signed off by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said. | |
Israeli building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem over the 1967 Green Line is viewed as illegal under international law. | |
The East Jerusalem settler homes had been delayed until Barack Obama - who was critical of settlement building - left office, officials said. | |
It was not immediately clear whether the West Bank building plans had been planned prior to Mr Trump's election, as there are several stages involved in the process. | |
The incoming Trump administration has struck a much more sympathetic tone towards Israel. | |
Mr Trump spoke with Mr Netanyahu on Sunday in what was described as a "very warm" conversation. | |
His pick for ambassador to the country, David Friedman, is strongly pro-settlements. | |
Since the 1970s successive Israeli governments have encouraged large numbers of Jews to move onto what is viewed internationally as occupied land. | |
The total settler population in the West Bank is now thought to be 550,000 strong. | |
Settlement building, which has increased year-on-year under current right-wing Prime Minister Netanyahu, is viewed as one of the major stumbling blocks to a lasting peace deal in the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. | |
Mr Netanyahu says the Palestinian failure to recognise Israel as a Jewish state is the biggest obstacle to peace, rather than settlements. |