WASHINGTON, November 8, 2014 — In Israel, almost no one speaks of a “two-state” solution. Land that would constitute a Palestinian state — the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem — is being settled by Israel. Late in October, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel would fast-track planning for 1,060 new apartments in East Jerusalem.
Most of the world, including America, considers such settlements illegal. The State Department says it is “deeply concerned” about these developments.
The U.S., while continuing to provide $3 billion in no-strings-attached aid to Israel each year, has consistently condemned unilateral steps that could prejudice the outcome of negotiations over East Jerusalem, which Israel took from Jordan in the 1967 war and later annexed in a move that was never internationally recognized, nor recognized by the U.S. The U.S. Embassy is in Tel Aviv.
Palestinian officials say tha Netanyahu has refused to outline the borders of a future Palestinian state. “We believe such unilateral acts will lead to an explosion,” says Jibril Rajoub, a senior figure in Fatah,
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