Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies
Israeli sources reported that the United States administration insists that Israel should fully freeze settlement construction in the occupied Palestinian territories, and on its demand that Israel should open border terminals in the Gaza Strip in order to allow Gaza reconstruction.
The US position came during Tuesday talks in London, led by the Special US envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, and other US diplomats, with Israel’s Atomic Energy Minister, Dan Meridor, and a number of advisors to the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
An Israeli official said that settlements construction and expansion in the occupied territories must continue due to what he described as natural growth of population.
He failed to mention that the Palestinian population is now confined into small isolated ghettos without any chance for expansion due to natural population growth.
The Israeli officials participating in the talks said that Israel will not accept to completely halt settlement construction and expansion, and claimed that the Palestinians did not fulfill their part of the Road Map Peace plan by “failing to counter terrorism”.
The American delegates refused the Israeli suggestions, especially regarding the settlement issue, and insisted that border terminals in the Gaza Strip should be open to allow construction materials and humanitarian into Gaza.
Yet, Netanyahu stated that he wanted to speed up the reestablishment of the special ministerial committee in charge of illegal outposts issues so that the removal of 22 illegal outposts built after March 2001 can be carried out.
Netanyahu’s talks on the 22 illegal outpost was seen a matter of technicality as those outposts are considered illegal even under the Israeli law, but he was not willing to hold talks on dismantling Jewish settlements and settlements blocs illegally constructed in the occupied West Bank and in east Jerusalem, as all settlements are considered illegal under the International Law and constitute a war crimes.
Settlements also violate the fourth Geneva conventions to which Israel is a signatory. Article 49, paragraph 6, of the Fourth Geneva Convention states; "The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies."
During a press conference with Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Ahmad Abu Al Gheit, US Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, called on Israel to stop its settlements activities, and added that the Obama administration wants to achieve a comprehensive peace in the Middle East.
Clinton added that that Obama was clear during his meeting with Israel Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and told him that Israel must halt all of its settlement activities in the occupied territories, even what Israel described as natural growth.
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