3 New West Bank Settlements Approved

The Ministerial Settlement Committee today approved the establishment of three new settlements on the West Bank but ruled that further settlements would be approved only after a body of experts confirms that all essential services will be available to integrate them firmly in the territory.

Today’s decision was announced despite growing differences among Cabinet ministers as to the wisdom of establishing a new civilian settlement, Beracha, which was formally dedicated yesterday on a hill overlooking Nablus, the largest Arab city on the West Bank.

The announcement came in the face of hints from Washington that the Reagan Administration’s decision to lift its ban on the transfer of American technology for the development of Israel’s second generation jet fighter plane, the Lavie, was made with the understanding that Israel would be more circumspect in its settlement policies.

The transformation of Beracha, a former military (Nahal) outpost into a civilian settlement drew thousands of protestors from the Peace Now movement. Acting Premier Simcha Ehrlich criticized Deputy Premier and Housing Minister David Levy for attending the ceremonies yesterday, Israel’s Independence Day. Ehrlich said there was prior agreement that the issue of a Jewish settlement virtually on top of Nablus would be brought before the Ministerial Settlement Committee which he heads.

Levy, absent from today’s Cabinet session, did not reply. But Likud MK Ehud Olmert, who has just returned from a visit to the U.S. criticized the government’s settlement policy in a radio interview today. That in itself was rare, coming from a member of the ruling party.

Olmert said he objected in principle to planting settlements in heavily Arab populated regions. He said Israel should be particularly sensitive on this issue considering the delicate state of its relations with the U.S. He suggested that the dedication of new settlements should be done with much less fanfare than was the case at Beracha.