Peace Now: 268,000 Jewish settlers in West Bank settlements
Palestine-Israel, Politics, 2/21/2007

Israeli Peace Now organization said that 268,000 Jewish settlers resided in the settlements in the West Bank in 2006, a growth of 5% as compared to 2005.

In its annual report issued on Wednesday on outposts in the West Bank, Peace Now revealed that in 2006 a total of 952 tenders were published for construction contracts in the occupied territories, all of these were published post general elections (March 2006). In comparison in 2005 there were a total of 1184 tenders published.

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics in for the first three quarters of 2006, a total of 1,272 construction starts were recorded. This is in contrast to 1,727 during 2005. However on the ground there is no significant change in the number of construction starts in comparison to the previous years, it added.

"In 2006, special security areas were constructed surrounding 6 settlements in the heart of the West Bank, east of the fence: Ateret, Nahaliel, Shavei Shomron, Avnei Hefetz, Karmei Tzur, Enav. In 2007 further security areas are planned to build around the settlements of Susiya and Ro'I, " Peace Now said.

As for bypass roads and infrastructure, Peace Now pointed out that in 2006 the paving of the Za'atara bypass road has continued, this bypass road is meant to connect the settlements of Tko'a and Nokdim with Jerusalem. Also continuing was the work on the Anatot / Mt. Scopus road in order to allow the Anatot settlers to commute to Jerusalem without having to travel outside the fence. Also in 2006 work began to pave the Ofarim - Beit Arye Bypass.

According to Peace Now evaluations today in the West Bank work on over 3000 units are in place. The largest construction sites can be found in Ma'ale Adumim, Modi'in Illit, Beitar Illit, Second largest building sites can be found in Ariel, Efrat, Alfei Menashe and Givat Zeev. Medium-sized building sites are found in El'azar, Karnei Shomron, Kiryat Arba, Alon (Kfar Adumim), Rosh Tzurim, Nirit site (Alfei Menashe), Kedumim.

Previous Stories:
  Rice: peace process can defuse Palestinian violence   (2/4/2007)
  Warning against destroying bridge connecting al-Haram al-Shareef with Bab al-Magharba in Jerusalem   (2/4/2007)
  Report on killing of Ramallah citizens by Israeli forces released   (1/27/2007)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search