Israel OKs building in East Jerusalem

JERUSALEM – Defying U.S. and international calls to restrain home-building on disputed land, Israel said Friday it would construct an additional 238 homes in Jerusalem neighborhoods that sit atop territory seized during the 1967 Middle East War.

The decision threw U.S.-sponsored peace talks into further doubt and ended a de facto construction freeze in East Jerusalem that had been quietly observed – though never formally declared – since March.

Palestinian officials accused Israel of trying to sabotage American efforts to salvage direct peace talks.

“This is a severe blow to the efforts by the United States and the Arab League to prevent the peace process from collapsing,” chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said Friday. “Once again, Mr. Netanyahu has chosen settlements over peace.”

The new plans come as Palestinians are already threatening to quit peace talks over Israel’s recent resumption of housing construction in the West Bank, which Israel had temporarily restricted as a goodwill gesture.

A spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declined to comment.

The new homes, in the Jewish neighborhoods of Ramat and Pisgat Zeev, were part of an offer for 3,500 new homes nationwide.

In the past, Israel has defended its construction in disputed parts of Jerusalem, saying Israel annexed the land. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

The last major project in Jerusalem was a 1,600-unit expansion in Ramat Shlomo, announced during a visit from Vice President Joe Biden. After the Obama administration reacted angrily to what it considered a diplomatic slight, Jewish construction in many East Jerusalem areas was quietly suspended.