US ‘deeply troubled’ by Israeli plans to approve over 4,000 new homes in West Bank

By Tugcenur Akgun

NEW YORK (AA) - The US is “deeply troubled” by the Israeli government’s announcement of plans to approve over 4,000 new settlement units in the West Bank, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on Sunday.

“The US is deeply troubled by the Israeli government’s announcement of plans to advance over 4,000 new settlement units in the West Bank & the changes to its planning system that may expedite approvals. Settlement expansion is an obstacle to peace,” Miller said on Twitter.

He added that the US opposes such unilateral actions that make a two-state solution more difficult to achieve.

He called on the Israeli government to fulfill the commitments it made in Aqaba, Jordan and Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt to return to dialogue aimed at de-escalation.

According to Israeli public broadcaster KAN, Israel will also start to advance judicial reform starting this week.

Israel has been in political turmoil in recent months over planned judicial reform by the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which the opposition views as a power grab in favor of executive authority.

Netanyahu, however, insists that his plan would enhance democracy and restore the balance among the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government.

In March, Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption, bowed to pressure and announced a temporary halt to the plans amid protests across the country.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar