以色列25年來首次批准建設全新猶太人定居點
Israel's security cabinet has approved the country's first new Jewish settlement in the West Bank in 25 years, while it holds talks with the U.S. on future activity.
Jewish homes built in the West Bank since 1992 were expansions of previously built settlements. The construction approved Thursday near Shilo will be the first completely new one.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised new homes for the hundreds of settlers forced to abandon the Amona settlement, which the Supreme Court declared was illegally built on Palestinian land. It was destroyed.
The new settlement will be built close to the former Amona site in the West Bank on land the Palestinians want as part of a future state.
Palestinians regard ongoing Jewish settlement activity as the major impediment to peace.
Much of the United Nations regards Jewish settlements as illegal. But the Trump White House has not followed the former Obama administration in quickly condemning the Israeli policy.
"While the existence of settlements is not in itself an impediment to peace, further unrestrained activity does not help advance peace," a White House official said Thursday.
The official said the White House welcomes Israel's stated intent to consider President Trump's concerns when it adopts a policy on settlement activity. Israeli and U.S. officials have been holding talks on setting guidelines for new settlements.以色列安全內閣批准了25年來在約旦河西岸首個新的猶太定居點，並同時與美國就未來的計劃進行會談。
自1992年以來，在約旦河西岸建立的猶太人住房都是以前建成的定居點的擴建。週四批准的在施洛附近的將是第一個全新的建設。
以色列總理內塔尼亞胡答應爲數百名定居者提供新的住房。那些人被迫離開阿莫納定居點，原因是最高法院判決，那是在巴勒斯坦土地上非法建造的。那個定居點被拆毀了。
新定居點將建在阿莫納舊址附近，位於巴勒斯坦人希望作爲未來國家一部分的地區。
巴勒斯坦人認爲，持續進行的猶太定居點活動是巴以和平的主要障礙。
聯合國大部分國家認爲猶太定居點是非法的。但川普領導下的白宮沒有像奧巴馬政府那樣迅速對以色列作出譴責。
一名白宮官員星期四說：“雖然定居點的存在本身沒有妨礙和平，但進一步不受約束的活動無助於促進和平。”
這名官員說，以色列表示，打算在通過定居點活動政策時考慮到川普總統的關切，白宮對此表示歡迎。以色列和美國官員一直在就新定居點的行爲準則進行會談。
