Ariel “Man of Peace” Sharon has given his okay to build new settlements defying a core objective in the U.S. road map for peace. Colin Powell said today “We have no illusion about how hard it’s going to be” referring to the peace process. Sharon is attempting to pull the illusion, Powell should save his time and breath and the credibility of the United States if this is what Sharon has to offer.
Sharon says settlements will grow
Last Updated Sun, 22 Jun 2003 16:38:34
JERUSALEM - Israel can keep building Jewish settlements in Palestinian areas, despite the U.S. “road map” to peace that calls for an end to new settlements, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Sunday
Sharon told a cabinet meeting that he wanted construction to proceed quickly, Israeli media reports said Sunday.
A senior cabinet official who briefed reporters after the meeting quoted Sharon saying Israel wouldn’t draw attention to the new building permits it was issuing; “we just build.”
Israel will continue construction in built-up areas of settlements, Sharon aide Raanan Gissin said.
The peace plan, endorsed by Israel and the Palestinians, is aimed at setting up a Palestinian state beside Israel.
It requires the Palestinians to stop attacks on Isreal, and the Israelis must freeze “all settlement activity” in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and remove outposts from existing settlements.