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June 24, 2009

Report: Israel Authorizes 300 New Settlement Homes
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In Israel and the Occupied Territories, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud
Barak has reportedly authorized the construction of 300 new homes in the
occupied West Bank. The Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz is reporting the
housing units will be built near the Talmon settlement in an outpost
initially established even without Israeli government approval. The new
construction would conflict with the Obama administration’s public call
for a freeze on Israeli settlement expansion. President Obama, however,
has refused to apply any meaningful pressure on Israel by withholding
some of the billions in annual US aid. He’s also refused to call for the
settlements’ complete dismantlement, even though they’re widely
considered illegal under international law.



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