U.S Slams Settler Housing in East Jerusalem
JERUSALEM — A Jerusalem planning committee approved the construction of nearly 200 housing units in an eastern Jerusalem neighborhood, spurring criticism from the U.S. State Department.
Asked about Wednesday’s approval of the 181 homes in Gilo, a Jerusalem suburb with a population of 40,000, a State Department spokesman condemned it as “corrosive to the cause of peace” and said it was a “steady and systemic acceleration of Israeli settlement activity.”
The housing units, which are located beyond Israel’s 1967 borders, or the Green Line, were approved initially in 2012 — among hundreds of housing units permitted in Gilo in recent years. Wednesday’s approval was to iron out the “technical details” of building permits, according to reports.
The State Department spokesman, John Kirby, said the U.S. was “deeply concerned” by the reports of the new housing and five community center infrastructure projects in Gilo.
“Our policy on settlements, as I said before, is very clear. We strongly oppose settlement activity, which we believe is corrosive to the cause of peace,” Kirby told reporters at a briefing.
“These decisions by Israeli authorities are just the latest examples of what appear to be a steady and systemic acceleration of Israeli settlement activity. These actions risk entrenching a one-state reality and raise serious questions about Israel’s ultimate commitment to a peaceful negotiated settlement with the Palestinians.”
Asked if there was any practical impact to U.S. objection to the plans, Kirby retreated, saying the administration is having “internal discussions” on the issue that he could not disclose.
“What I would just say is right now we are focused on encouraging all sides to demonstrate with policies and actions a genuine commitment to a two-state solution,” he said. “I think I’ll leave it at that.”
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30
