Israel delays vote on settlement permits ahead of Kerry’s speech

TEL AVIV: Israel yesterday delayed a vote on permits for settler homes at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request, ahead of a speech by United States Secretary of State John Kerry, said an official.

The discussion was pulled from the agenda following a United Nations Security Council resolution demanding a halt to Israeli settlement building, and with Kerry set for a major speech on the conflict later yesterday.

Hanan Rubin, a member of the planning committee that was to discuss the permits, said members were informed of Netanyahu’s request by the committee chairman.

“We were told... that it was pulled at the request of the prime minister to avoid conflict with the US government just before Kerry’s speech tonight (yesterday).”

Rubin said the committee had planned to vote on permits for 492 units in the Ramat Shlomo and Ramot neighbourhoods of mainly Palestinian east Jerusalem.

He said the plan would be brought forward at a later date, though it was unclear when.

The Ir Amim non-governmental organisation, which monitors settlement activity, earlier said the committee was to discuss permits for 618 housing units.

Friday’s Security Council resolution demanded a halt to Israeli settlement building in Palestinian territory. It passed 14-0, with the US abstaining.

By declining to use its veto, the US enabled the adoption of the first UN resolution since 1979 to condemn Israel over its settlement policy.

Kerry’s planned speech has led to further concern in Israel, with officials fearing he could lay out parameters for restarting long-stalled peace efforts, which they oppose.

Officials are also concerned that the speech, as well as a Middle East peace conference planned by France for Jan 15, could lead to further action against Israel that would be taken to the Security Council for approval before Donald Trump, who had called for the US to veto the UN resolution, takes over as US president. AFP