Israel approved Monday the building of 455 settler homes in the occupied West Bank, a move opposed by its U.S. ally and Palestinians but which could pave the way for a construction moratorium sought by Washington. A Defence Ministry list of the first such building permits since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took office in March showed the homes would be erected in areas Israel says it intends to keep in a future peace deal with the Palestinians. The order includes permission to proceed with construction of a new settler enclave in the Jordan Valley, an area that is considered vital to a future Palestinian state because of its rich farmlands and location deep inside the West Bank. By rebuffing US pressure, Netanyahu has tried to cement the support of a coalition that is committed to strengthening Israel's control over the West Bank. At the same time, he has offered to slow construction afterward in exchange for overtures from the Arab world. This has not mollified the Americans or the Palestinians, who have demanded an immediate and total freeze. “Given the choice between making peace and making settlements, they have chosen to make settlements,” chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said. George Mitchell, the US Middle East envoy, is due in the region within the coming week to hold yet another round of talks meant to wrest Israeli concessions that would allow the resumption of Israel-Palestinian peace talks.
