Israel on Tuesday outlawed an Islamist group accused of inciting violence among Arab citizens amid a two-month wave of unrest, and in a separate development approved the construction of hundreds of homes in a Jewish settlement in east Jerusalem.
The decision to ban the group threatened to worsen already strained relations with the country's Arab minority and was condemned by Arab leaders. The granting of final approval for the construction of more than 400 homes in east Jerusalem was likely to anger the Palestinians.
The international community opposes Israeli construction in east Jerusalem, which Israel captured in 1967 and the Palestinians claim as their capital. This particular project, in the Ramat Shlomo area, has drawn American ire because it was first announced during a visit to Israel by Vice President Joe Biden in 2010.
The Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement of Israel, which provides religious and educational services for Israeli Arabs, routinely accuses Israel of trying to take over a sensitive holy site in Jerusalem, a charge Israel denies. Tensions over the site, which is revered by Jews and Muslims, are at the heart of the latest surge in Israeli-Palestinian violence.
TVNL Comment: Construction of settlements in East Jerusalem is a blatant violation of international law. But Israel can do no wrong and no one may dare to oppose them.