Tag: Ha’aretz

  • Israel bans Palestinians from hosting pope next to West Bank fence

    Ha’aretz 7 May 2009 A Palestinian official says the Palestinian Authority has scrapped plans to host Pope Benedict XVI next week on a stage near the West Bank separation fence. Palestinian say they had hoped that receiving the pope next to a towering cement wall and military watchtower inside the Aida refugee camp would highlight…

  • Settlement expansion seeing biggest boost since 2003

    Amos Harel | Ha’aretz 7 May 2009 West Bank construction has been accelerating for several months, putting Israel on a collision course with a U.S. administration taking a hard line on settlement expansion. A new outpost, new roads, and other building projects have raced ahead in and around the settlements, often without legal permits, producing…

  • UN demand for IDF compensation in Gaza could reach $11m

    Barak Ravid, Amos Harel & AP | Ha’aretz 6 May 2009 A United Nations demand for financial compensation for Israeli strikes on UN facilities in Gaza could come to $11 million, a government official in Jerusalem said Tuesday in response to a UN report that criticized Israel for the attacks. The incidents occurred during Operation…