JERUSALEM, Sept 11: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said in an interview published on Sunday that Israel would keep building in its large West Bank settlements, despite expected US objections. Mr Sharon, speaking to the Washington Post newspaper on the eve of the Israeli army’s withdrawal from Gaza, reiterated his intention to retain large West Bank settlement blocs under any future peace deal and continue construction in them as Israel sees fit.
“The major (settlement) blocs will stay as part of Israel ... yes, we have small-scale construction within the lines. ... even now there is construction,” he said in comments likely to anger Palestinians who want the West Bank and Gaza for a state.
Asked how he thought Washington would react to building in the occupied West Bank, which runs counter to a U.S.-backed “road map” peace plan, Mr Sharon replied: “I don’t think they will be too happy, but they are the major blocs, and we must build. We don’t have an agreement with the United States about this, but these areas are going to be part of Israel.”
A U.S. embassy spokesman in Tel Aviv said Washington’s view on the settlement issue remained unchanged.
“The U.S. continues to urge both sides to implement their road map commitments,” spokesman Stewart Tuttle said, noting that President George W. Bush had called on Israel to stop building in the West Bank.
Mr Sharon also said Israel would remove some unauthorised settlement outposts in the West Bank, as required by the road map. “We’ll do that,” he said. He reiterated Israel would agree to renewed peace talks with the Palestinians only after they disarmed militants, a requirement under the road map.
Palestinians have welcomed Israel’s removal of 9,000 Jewish settlers from Gaza and a corner of the West Bank last month but are concerned Mr Sharon is using the pullout as a ruse to keep large swathes of West Bank land.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Nasser al-Kidwa said on Saturday he would appeal for more world pressure on Israel to halt expansion of its settlements in his planned address to the U.N. General Assembly next week.
Mr Sharon, who will also address the General Assembly, told Israeli television last month Israel would scrap some settlements for peace but would not cede its largest enclaves.
Some 245,000 Israelis live in 120 settlements in the West Bank, home to about 2.4 million Palestinians. Israel captured the West Bank and Gaza in the 1967 Middle East war.
The World Court says the settlements are illegal. Israel disputes this. —Reuters
