Middle East peace process hits news stumbling block as Israel ‘considers major building project in West Bank’
simmons | July 31, 2013
Israel could be about to embark on a major building project in West Bank settlements, just a day after the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, announced that peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians were back on track. Reports in the Israeli media today suggested that in return for getting his plan to release more than 100 Palestinian prisoners accepted by the cabinet on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to a demand from the right-wing Jewish Home party to increase building activity in the Occupied Territories. According to the Maariv newspaper, a secret deal between Mr Netanyahu and Israels Housing Minister, Uri Ariel, of the Jewish Home party was struck, which persuaded the right-wing party to remain in the coalition
