ISRAELI PRIME Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday spoke out in favour of “natural growth” in existing West Bank Jewish settlements, in defiance of last week’s call by US President Barack Obama for a total cessation to settlement construction.
Addressing ministers at the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Mr Netanyahu said his government would not build new settlements and would act against illegal West Bank outposts, but “it would be unfair not to accommodate natural growth”. The term “natural growth” refers to building within the boundaries of existing settlements to accommodate settler population growth.
There was an unwritten understanding between the Bush administration and Israel’s previous government, headed by Ehud Olmert, that construction would be tolerated in communities within the larger settlement blocs.
US officials have already made it clear that a halt to settlement building will be a key element in the new administration’s Middle East peace plan, which is set to be unveiled after President Obama meets at the White House this week Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak, next week in Cairo.
The US and Israel have set up a joint working team to look into the question of settlement construction, but it is difficult to see how the Israeli premier can please both the US administration and his own right-wing Likud party and rightist coalition partners, who were elected with a clear pro-settlement agenda. Palestinian leaders have already linked a resumption of peace talks with Israel to an end to building in West Bank settlements, home to some 280,000 Israelis.
In what may be an attempt to divert attention from the 121 authorised settlements, Israeli leaders were speaking tough yesterday on the need to dismantle the unauthorised outposts.
Scores of outposts have been set up on hilltops across the West Bank by settler activists in defiance of Israeli government policy.
Last week one such outpost, close to Ramallah, was bulldozed to the ground.
Yesterday, defence minister Ehud Barak vowed that this was only the beginning. “Twenty-two additional outposts must be taken care of now, and in a responsible and correct way,” he said.
“First through trying to work something out with negotiations , and if that’s not possible, through unilateral means, including the use of force.”
Mr Netanyahu promised Mr Barak his full support in any decision made to evacuate illegal outposts in the West Bank.
