Posted on 12/04/2012 12:23:31 PM PST by Tailgunner Joe
Russia urged Israel on Monday to reconsider plans to expand Jewish settlements on occupied land after Palestinians won de facto U.N. recognition of statehood, saying building new homes would undermine any chance for direct peace talks.
In a statement issued a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu brushed off condemnation from the United States and European nations, Russia also criticized Israel's announcement it was withholding Palestinian tax revenues.
Russia "views these Israeli intentions with the most serious concern", the Foreign Ministry statement said.
"Implementation of the announced plans for large-scale settlement activity would have a very negative effect on efforts to resume direct negotiations aimed at a two-state solution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict," it said.
Stung by the U.N. General Assembly's upgrading of the Palestinians' status from "observer entity" to "non-member state", Israel said on Friday it would build 3,000 more settler homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, areas Palestinians want for a future state, along with Gaza.
Russia voted for the status upgrade but said it must not be treated as an alternative to a negotiated peace process.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday brushed off condemnation of Israel's new settlement plans, saying: "We will carry on building in Jerusalem and in all the places that are on the map of Israel's strategic interests."
Israel also announced it was withholding Palestinian tax revenues this month worth about $100 million.
The Russian statement on Monday said such a move would "complicate the already difficult socio-economic and humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territories".
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Everyone else is building.
Israel urges Russia to Pound Sand.
Israel should reconsider just as much as Pharaoh Morsi is reconsidering his coronation.
Most of the geographic territory of the nation of Russia is ethnic Asian land that the Russians settled in the last two centuries.
Glass houses? Stones?
I agree. Israel should reconsider building so few homes, and build many more.
If youd like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
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If youd like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
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When it comes to the resettlement of Jews, this is a good opportunity for the Russians (and the Germans and French) to shut up.
Note to Russia. Stop building on Sakhalin Island and the Kuriles, which you took from Japan. Kaliningrad is German Koenigsburg. I seem to remember areas taken from Finland in the Soviet war of agression against the Finns. And that is just Russian occupied and ethnically cleansed territories taken in WW2.
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