Egypt on Tuesday condemned an Israeli decision to construct 1,100 Jewish settlers homes in East Jerusalem and called the move a "provocation", according to Reuters. "This step reflects an Israeli choice to continue in its provocative policies and to challenge everyone in the international community that sees settlement construction as illegitimate," Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr said in a statement. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas applied at the United Nations on Friday for full Palestinian membership, a move opposed by Israel and the United States, which urged him to resume peace negotiations. Abbas says he will not do so unless Israel agrees to stop building new settlements in occupied territory.
