BICOM

Israeli officials yesterday played down the decision to build 600 new homes in the West Bank settlement of Shilo, saying it was made by a low-level planning committee under the control of the Defence Ministry and would not be realised for years.

A defence official, speaking on conditions of anonymity, said the project was in the “embryonic” phase and would require “multiple stages of authorisations,” including approval by top leaders, that would take years to complete.

Nevertheless, the move comes only days before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with US President Barack Obama in Washington. The announcement also drew rebuke from United Nations Mideast envoy, Robert Serry, who called the announcement “deplorable” and said it “moves us further away from the goal of a two-state solution.” Speaking to reporters, US State Department spokesman Mark Toner added that, “We don’t believe it’s in any way constructive to getting both sides back to the negotiating table.”

According to leaks from the recent preliminary Amman talks between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators, Israel offered an unofficial settlement freeze as part of a package of confidence building gestures to keep talks on course. The Palestinians ultimately rejected the package.