Israel's far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, approved plans yesterday for a settlement that would separate East Jerusalem from the occupied West Bank, a move that would effectively bury the concept of a Palestinian state, his office said.
It remains unclear whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will back a push to revive the long-stalled E1 project, which Palestinians and international powers say would split the West Bank in two and likely draw international condemnation.
In a statement headlined “The Funeral of the Idea of a Palestinian State,” Smotrich's spokesman said the minister would hold a press conference on Thursday about a plan to build 3,401 homes for Israeli settlers between an existing West Bank settlement and Jerusalem.
Israel has suspended plans to build in the area since 2012 over objections from the United States, European allies and other world powers who see the project as a threat to any potential peace deal with the Palestinians.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
