MIDEAST Settlers See New Support from Obama http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=55826

Israel and its settlers, encouraged by what they see as U.S. support, are getting down to business with more illegal settlement building. A new Israeli settlement in the Ras Almud neighbourhood of occupied East Jerusalem was inaugurated on Wednesday. One hundred illegal settlers are slated to move in shortly. The same day Israel’s Minister of the Interior Eli Yeshai and Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat signed a plan to expand the southern part of Jerusalem municipality’s jurisdiction by expropriating more Palestinian land.

The illegal settlement of Ramat Rachel will be expanded by 1,600 new housing units.As peace talks remain frozen the daily abuses against Palestinian civilians in the occupied Palestinian territories grinds on with few having hope of an end to the occupation any time soon. Israeli security forces continue to target non-violent Palestinian activists involved in organising peaceful protests against the continued expropriation of Palestinian land. 

On Monday Israeli intelligence raided the Palestinian hamlet of At-Tuwani near Hebron in the southern West Bank. At gunpoint homes were ransacked, personal details taken and the villagers warned not to continue their resistance."Do you want to become the father of a martyr?" one of the village leaders was asked as the soldiers and intelligence agents hinted that they might retaliate against one of his children.