The Carter Administration hinted today that the Israeli government drop its plans to allocated IL 50 million (about $1.5 million) for settlements on the West Bank. The State Department’s chief spokesman, Hodding Carter, said that “such activity is contrary to international law, pre-judges the outcome of negotiations and is an obstacle to the peace process.” He added, “Therefore, we are obviously against any steps by the Knesset that are calculated to support the Israeli settlement policy.”
Carter was alluding to the move yesterday by Israel’s Knesset Finance Committee in appropriating the money for the purchase of land in the occupied territories from private Arab owners for Jewish settlement. Israel TV reported that Ariel Sharon, the Agriculture Minister, told the Committee that land purchases in the West Bank last year totalled 75 acres.
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