Spokesman: Israel has right to build in E Jerusalem

Source: Xinhua | 12-05-2007 07:46

JERUSALEM, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- In response to the Palestinian condemnation of new building projects in East Jerusalem, an Israeli foreign ministry spokesman claimed that his country has the right for any construction in the country's capital.

"Israel will strictly abide by obligations under the Roadmap that applies to West Bank," Mark Regev told Xinhua, adding that "Jerusalem is not the West Bank but Israeli capital."

Regev admitted that Jerusalem is one of the core issues under negotiations with the Palestinian. But he claimed that, unlike the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, it's not part of the requirements in the roadmap peace plan.

Israel captured the eastern part of Jerusalem in the 1967 Six Day War. The Palestinians claim it as the capital of a future state.

The Israeli Land Administration had on Dec. 2 published tenders for the construction of 307 new housing units in the settlement of Har Homa in East Jerusalem, according to the Palestinian side.

The Palestinian National Authority condemned the Israeli decision on Tuesday.

It will be the first settlement expansion by Israel after last week's international conference on the Mideast peace process, which was hosted by the U.S. in Annapolis.

At the Annapolis conference, both the Palestinian and Israeli sides had vowed to implement the U.S.-brokered roadmap plan.

The roadmap plan, known for its vision of two-state solution, was declared in 2002 by U.S. President George W. Bush who called for creating a viable and democratic Palestinian statehood alongside Israel which should be secured.

The International Quartet -- the U.S., the EU, Russia and the UN -- is the four entities that sponsor the implantation of the plan. But the plan stopped in 2003 due to violence between Israel and Palestinian militant groups.

The first phase of the roadmap plan calls on the Palestinians to crack down on militants, while demanding that Israel halt Jewish settlement activity and uproot illegal outposts.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei