Israel increases settlement budget

The head of the government coalition at the Israeli Knesset, Meir Sheetrit, said that Israel's draft budget for next year, which is currently being discussed, calls for the allocation of 250 million shekels to finance settlement activities in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Sheetrit told Israeli Army radio in an interview broadcast on Thursday that the bulk of the increase in the budget, which is demanded by different Israeli parties, amounts to 450 million shekels.

Israeli political and financial sources said most of the budget increase is embarked to support the ultra-right-wing parties' demands to intensify settlement building and expand operations in the occupied Arab territories.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved the settlement demands in the hope that he can win votes in the forthcoming Israeli elections.

In another development, the Likud government and ultra-right-wing parties have concluded an agreement to build five radio stations for those parties.