Undeterred by turbulence in its ties with the United States and Britain, Israel yesterday confirmed further plans to expand the Jewish presence in occupied east Jerusalem, with more building freshly approved.
In a move that is sure to anger Palestinians and frustrate western proponents of a freeze on settlement construction, a city official said approval was given to develop a flashpoint neighbourhood from which Palestinians were evicted last year.
Word of the move came as Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu completed an unusually low-profile meeting in Washington with US president Barack Obama for fence-mending talks, after their open spat over east Jerusalem earlier this month.
Mr Netanyahu says he regretted the timing of an announcement of east Jerusalem building plans during the visit of US vice-president Joe Biden two weeks ago, which Washington called “insulting”.
But on Monday he insisted before an audience of influential American Jews that “Jerusalem is our capital” and building will continue there as Israel sees fit.
His defiant assertion coincided with a public rebuke to Israel from Britain, which announced it was expelling an Israeli diplomat over the forgery of British passports used by the suspected killers of a Hamas commander in Dubai.
Israel said it regretted Britain’s decision but commentators on Wednesday predicted no meaningful damage to bilateral ties.
Irish, French, German and Australian passports were also forged by the assassination squad, and their authorities were expected to examine Britain’s evidence implicating Israel.
In a comparatively rare public complaint, Saudi Arabia yesterday asked major powers involved in Middle East peace-making for “clarifications about Israel’s arrogant policy and its insistence on defying international will”.
News of the latest plans to build apartments in the Sheikh Jarrah district has angered Palestinian opinion. Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said it was “part of Israel’s attempt to forcibly end any Palestinian presence in east Jerusalem”.
Israel annexed east Jerusalem as part of its capital after capturing it in the 1967 war. Its claim is not recognised internationally. Palestinians want east Jerusalem as capital of a future state they are seeking in the occupied West Bank.