Aron Heller
AP
August 4, 2013
The Israeli Cabinet on Sunday expanded its list of West Bank settlements eligible for government subsidies, a decision that came just days after the resumption of long-frozen peace talks and drew quick Palestinian condemnation.
The Cabinet approved a range of housing subsidies and loans for more than 600 Israeli communities deemed “national priority areas,” expanding an earlier list. The list includes poor towns in Israel’s outlying areas, but also dozens of settlements.
The Palestinians want to establish a state in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem – lands Israel captured in 1967 – and renewed talks are to draw Israel’s borders with such a state. Since 1967, Israel has built dozens of settlements on war-won land – deemed illegal by most of the international community – that are home to around 560,000 Israelis.
Israel’s government hopes to encourage more people to move to the communities on the “national priorities” list. The last version of the list was approved in 2012.
The Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now said the list approved Sunday increased the total number of settlements eligible for subsidies from 85 to 91, virtually all in areas Israel would likely have to evacuate to make way for a Palestinian state.