ANKARA — Turkey and Jordan warned Israel Wednesday that settlements in east Jerusalem threatened peace efforts, amid press reports that the Jewish state is to revive construction plans in the annexed region.
“Israel needs to act with responsibility on the issue of settlers and especially developments in east Jerusalem,” Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told a news conference with his visiting Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh.
“If there is genuine will for peace, it is time to openly display it,” he added.
Judeh, for his part, said: “We agreed that unilateral moves in east Jerusalem will harm the peace process because such moves are not only confidence-shattering but also illegal.”
Israel’s hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday agreed to curtail construction in the occupied West Bank that fell short of US demands for a settlement freeze.
Critics, however, say construction continues on the ground in a number of settlements in Palestinian territory.
TheMarker, a supplement to the Haaretz newspaper, reported Wednesday that Israeli authorities reversed a decision to reject bids for a 2008 project in east Jerusalem, paving the way for the construction of 450 housing units.
Israel captured the territory in the 1967 Six Day War and subsequently annexed it in a move the international community has not recognized.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
Source: www.google.com, 20.08.2009
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