Israel Tells U.S. No New Settlements

Middle East - AP

Israel Tells U.S. No New Settlements

Date: Tue, Aug 03, 2004

WASHINGTON - Israel's ambassador, Daniel Ayalon, assured the State Department on Tuesday there are no plans to build new homes at a large Jewish settlement on the West Bank alongside Jerusalem.

Ayalon said after meeting with Assistant Secretary of State William Burns "there is nothing new here." And the ambassador said Israel stands by its commitment to the U.S.-backed road map for negotiations with the Palestinians that rules out new settlement activity.

On Monday, the State Department said 600 housing units had been approved by the Israeli defense minister for Malleh Adumim and that the construction is in conflict with the road map, a blueprint for peacemaking backed by the United States, the United Nations (news - web sites), the European Union (news - web sites) and Russia.

Ayalon said that was a year-and-a-half-old decision. "It's not an issue anymore," he said.

But department spokesman Richard Boucher said Tuesday "we are having discussions with the Israelis, and we'll stay in close touch with them on their commitments to end settlement activity. They are, I think, aware of our concerns."

"We continue to press them to live up to the statements of the road map," Boucher said.

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