Page 10 - aruba-today-20170401

A10 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 1 april 2017

Israel says will try to curb growth of settlements footprint

But Netanyahu also faces sought to play down the
pressure from Trump to rein announcement Thursday
in settlement construction of the new settlement, say-
to help revive the stalled ing Netanyahu made his
peace process with the promise to the Amona set-
Palestinians. tlers before Trump laid out
Netanyahu told ministers to his vision. But the official,
take Trump’s position “into who agreed to discuss the
consideration,” calling for matter on condition of an-
restraint to be shown “to al- onymity because he was
low progress in the peace not authorized to speak
process.” publicly about it, signaled
Under the guidelines, new that the White House would
construction would be take a tougher line down
built “within existing de- the road.
veloped areas, when pos- Thursday’s announcement
sible.” If that is not possible said the new settlement
then it would be allowed would be built near the
adjacent to already built- settlement of Shilo, close to
up areas. If that also is not the former site of Amona. It
possible “because of legal, also said the government
security or topological con- had approved tenders to
straints,” building would be build 2,000 new apartments
The Israeli settlement of Maaleh Adumim looms over Arab Bedouin shacks in the West Bank. permitted as close as possi- from previously approved
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered a slowdown of construction in territory Palestin- ble to existing construction. settlement projects.
ians want for a state in a gesture to President Donald Trump at the same cabinet meeting where White House envoy Jason The Palestinians claim the
he approved the first new settlement in two decades the heart of the West Bank.
(AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean) Greenblatt has already West Bank and east Jeru-
made two visits to the re- salem, areas captured by
IAN DEITCH With the new policy, the Netanyahu had promised gion, meeting with Israelis Israel in 1967, as parts of a
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel will government said it would to build the new settlement and Palestinians and at- future state.
limit new settlement con- attempt to exercise some to replace Amona, a settle- tending an Arab summit in In December, weeks be-
struction in the West Bank restraint in expanding the ment outpost built on pri- Jordan this week. Greenb- fore Trump was inaugu-
“when possible” to within physical footprint of settle- vate Palestinian land that latt has been working with rated, President Barack
areas already developed ments, though it did not was dismantled in February the Israelis on a series of Obama allowed the U.N.
or at least to contiguous specify any slowdown in following an Israeli Supreme understandings over settle- Security Council to pass a
areas, President Benjamin construction. Israeli me- Court ruling. Pro-settler ment construction in hopes resolution that declared
Netanyahu’s government dia on Friday reported Ne- hard-liners who dominate of restarting peace talks settlements in both areas
announced as a gesture tanyahu announced the his coalition and oppose that collapsed over two illegal and an obstacle to
to President Donald Trump guidelines at a meeting the Palestinian statehood on years ago — in part over reaching a two state solu-
as it approved the first new night before where his cab- security or religious grounds the thorny issue of settle- tion to the conflict. Trump
settlement in the territory in inet also approved the new had pressed him to keep ments. condemned the decision
two decades. settlement. that promise. A White House official at the time.q
Lebanese PM urges world help to cope with refugee influx

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon will Hariri warned that Lebanon have been a burden on ence more permanent. He cited World Bank esti-
present a comprehensive faces serious security and Lebanon’s infrastructure. Consequently, unorga- mates that the Syria crisis
plan to help alleviate the economic issues and has The tiny country beset with nized makeshift settlements has cost Lebanon US$18 bil-
enormous burden of Syrian reached breaking point. internal divisions now hosts have sprouted across the lion in lost economic activ-
refugees at an upcoming “The international com- the highest concentration country, putting a huge ity since 2011. He also said
Syria conference in Brus- munity has to understand of refugees and its people strain on local infrastruc- Lebanon’s infrastructure
sels, but needs urgent inter- that Lebanon cannot pay are often praised by world ture and host communities was made to sustain four
national support to avoid the price of the unresolved leaders for generously whose populations have million people but the same
collapse, Lebanon’s prime conflict in Syria,” Hariri said. shouldering the burden of swelled to double or triple infrastructure is now bear-
minister said Friday. Lebanon, which shares so many refugees. their size. ing 6 million people due to
Speaking to a group of a large border with Syria, The country has long re- “Some people say we the presence of Syrian and
journalists ahead of the has taken in some 1.2 mil- fused setting up refugee should have refugee Palestinian refugees.
April 5 European confer- lion Syrian refugees — the camps like in Turkey or Jor- camps in Lebanon. I say “We have been pushing
ence in Brussels on sup- equivalent of one-fourth of dan, fearing that would Lebanon has become a our capabilities to the ex-
porting the future of Syria, its own population — who make the refugee pres- refugee camp,” Hariri said. treme,” he said.q