Israel Expands West Bank Settlement After Murder

BY YIQIAN ZHANG
ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

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A terrorist attack. That’s what Israel is calling the murder of an Israeli family in the West Bank.

A couple and their three kids were stabbed to death in their home in a West Bank settlement over the weekend. West Bank is the eastern part of the Palestinian territories -- and continued construction of Israeli settlements there has long been a major source of tension.

But shortly after the attack, Israel approved construction of 500 MORE homes in the disputed territories. Though no one has claimed responsibility for the murders - some suggest it was motivated by Palestinian resistance to Israeli occupation.

The Media Line quotes a Hamas spokesperson as saying: “We in Hamas completely support the resistance against settlers who murder and use crime and terror against the Palestinian people under the auspices of the Israeli occupation soldiers.”

But Al Jazeera reports - Palestinian leaders have publicly condemned the murders. Still - Palestinians fear retaliation.
“...now the concern among many Palestinians goes beyond the major manhunt the Israeli army has begun --- rather, anticipating the possibility that retaliation could come from Israeli settlers.”

An op-ed in Israel’s YNetnews says Israel is punishing ITSELF by building more settlement homes.

“The massacre in Itamar was terrible news for any person in Israel, leftist or rightist. It’s hard to understand why the government chose to punish us further through settlement expansion... Why does everyone else have to be punished?”

Finally - a columnist for the LA Times puts blame on both sides and says - in order to have peace, Israel and Palestine must change their – quote – “tit-for-tat mentality.”

“Terrorist violence is unacceptable, period. Palestinian leaders should say so, clearly and publicly… But at the same time, the Israeli government should be in the business of calming tensions, not stoking them… If the conflict is to be resolved … both sides must put peace ahead of politics."

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says Palestinian forces are working with Israeli investigators to find the perpetrators of the murders.

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1. By: newsydotcom
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4. Added :18-Mar-11
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