The Massive Change Annapolis Wrought

Israel to Build New Homes in Jerusalem Settlement

Israel has announced plans to build more than three hundred homes in a Jewish-only settlement in East Jerusalem. The new homes would be built in Har Homa, a settlement of more than 200,000 people occupied since 1967. Palestinians have called for sovereignty over East Jerusalem as part of final peace deal. The move comes just one week after Israel made the latest of several pledges to freeze settlement construction at the U.S.-brokered summit in Annapolis. But on Tuesday, Israeli officials said the Road Map does not apply to Jerusalem but only the West Bank. In a letter of protest, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat called the settlements the "single greatest threat" to a final peace deal.

And what's been going on for the past decade, colonialization-wise?

Study: Israel Demolished 3% of Illegal Outposts

Meanwhile a new study shows the Israeli government has carried out just three percent of its pledges to demolish unauthorized buildings in West Bank settlements over the last decade. The Israeli group Peace Now says the Israeli military conducted one hundred and seven of more than thirty-four hundred demolition orders. By contrast, the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions says Israel has destroyed well over 5,000 Palestinian homes since the outbreak of the second intifada seven years ago. Israeli courts have deemed the outposts illegal while the World Court has ruled the entire settlements are illegal themselves.