Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., January 15, 2008 Shvat 8, 5768 | | Israel Time: 13:41 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (Reuters) Last update - 16:19 21/12/2007 Rice welcomes Israeli decision to nix building plan in East J'lem By Haaretz Service Tags: Condoleezza Rice, Atarot  U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Thursday welcomed Israel's decision to drop plans to construct a new neighborhood in the Atarot section of East Jerusalem, the AFP reported on Friday. "I think it's a good step," Rice said after a Housing Ministry official said that plans for the project had been dropped. Housing Minister Ze'ev Boim had given the green light for the plan, despite the fact that senior American officials say Israel had promised not to move forward with the project. Advertisement Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office distanced itself Wednesday from a Housing Ministry decision to begin planning a new Jewish neighborhood in area. "Nothing has been decided and nothing has been authorized," said Mark Regev, Olmert's spokesman. A Housing Ministry official said Thursday: "The construction is no longer being discussed." The neighborhood, near Atarot, was slated to contain more than 10,000 apartments, making it the largest Jewish neighborhood in East Jerusalem. Earlier this month, however, the United States objected to a plan to build a mere 300 apartments in another East Jerusalem neighborhood, Har Homa, with Rice saying it did not contribute to the peace process. "I think that the Israelis understood that what had happened with Har Homa had had an effect of undermining the confidence in the very fragile and brand new peace process," Rice said on Thursday, adding "I don't know the calculations that went into it, but obviously it's helpful that you don't have that decision to contend with." Related articles: PMO: 'Nothing decided' on new E. J'lem Jewish neighborhood Municipality promoting controversial plans to build housing in Jerusalem From Annapolis to Har Homa Bookmark to del.icio.us   Diskin's faulty math The Shin Bet's estimate of civilian casualties was revealed to be too low. Wooing minorities The color of Barack Obama's skin has returned as an issue to the campaign.   1.   Olmert doing the Arabs` work for them 09:30  |  Moshe 21/12/07   2.   Let`s go fly a kite 09:38  |  Clickfool 21/12/07   3.   Once again we bow the whims of the Americans! 10:00  |  Miriam 21/12/07   4.   No more objections to Har Homa? 10:20  |  H50 21/12/07   5.   The limits must be set by America 10:39  |  Natallie Durson 21/12/07   6.   Miriam....shame on them still taking American money! 10:43  |  Palestinian Brit 21/12/07   7.   Gutless cowards. 10:46  |  Avraham 21/12/07   8.   Even Kuwait asserts more its independence from the US 11:10  |  Absolute Sweden 21/12/07   9.   Atarat jewish land before 1948 11:15  |  trumpeldor 21/12/07   10.   Olmert must go. He is an exponentially increasing liability 11:16  |  Pavel 21/12/07   11.   #9 12:03  |  we shall see 21/12/07   12.   Rice is an enemy of Israel 12:39  |  Chaim Gorenstein 21/12/07   13.   #11 12:41  |  FlickC00l 21/12/07   14.   UNLUCKY #13 13:10  |  #9 21/12/07   15.   Correct decision 13:21  |  Joseph 21/12/07   16.   Israel has a right to these lands forver! 13:25  |  Yaakov Sullivan 21/12/07   17.   "I think it`s a good step," Rice said 15:01  |  Johnboy 21/12/07   18.   4.H50 Har Homa is an extravaganza on the hillside,jewish money 15:03  |  lakshmi 21/12/07   19.   This meddleing Has Stop RICE GO HOME 15:27  |  ralphrants1 21/12/07   20.   Rice for Racism 15:31  |  Straight Talk 21/12/07   21.   Israel need new blood 15:37  |  Petra 21/12/07   22.   #4 You are asking the right question, H50. 16:08  |  Ben Alofs 21/12/07   23.   building plan 16:09  |  Jack 21/12/07   24.   Too Little Too Late 16:15  |  JJ 21/12/07   25.   #22 dr ben who promised?thats the problem they represent no one 16:52  |  victor hardman 21/12/07   26.   HURRAY!!! 10-STEPS BACKWARD, 2-STEPS FORWARD 17:01  |  Lance 21/12/07   27.   Israel Following US on not building in Jerusalem 17:35  |  Max Zaslawsky 21/12/07   28.   And the Arab response? 17:42  |  MichaelF 21/12/07   29.   money= 18:38  |  kml 21/12/07   30.   Rice is worthless 19:14  |  BobUSA 21/12/07   31.   Rice is worthless how right you are.....but 20:19  |  Connie 21/12/07   32.   Try NOLA, first! 20:39  |  Webster 21/12/07   33.   This Rice dish is NOT kosher 20:43  |  Gideon Reader 21/12/07   34.   Little Etzi-Petzi got a slap on his greedy fingers. Maybe they 20:50  |  Andreas 21/12/07   35.   BTW, do you jerks really believe nobody reads this hate mail ... 20:53  |  Andreas 21/12/07   36.   Rice would welcome a Judenrein Israel. 22:14  |  chick 21/12/07   37.   Rice is not in charge of Israeli housing policies 23:14  |  Frank 21/12/07   38.   Talk is cheap, let`s see what happens in a few months or years... 00:00  |  peacelover 22/12/07   39.   Butting in 00:31  |  Cranky US Jewish guy 22/12/07   40.   Michael F - Clarification, please 00:59  |  Angela 22/12/07   41.   What chutzpah! 01:03  |  Morris Valentine 22/12/07   42.   Uh, excuse me... Editors 01:37  |  Angela 22/12/07   43.   Israel giving up settlements 06:31  |  Scott Havsy 22/12/07   44.   #41 Morris 22:22  |  ralphsrant1 22/12/07   45.   WOE unto the HOUSING MK & Olmert Govt. 03:55  |  Gary Pineda 24/12/07   46.   Gotta wonder if when Bush and Rice are gone 13:25  |  Petra 15/01/08

Today Online Israel begins building 60 new homes in East Jerusalem Responses: 85 Israel offers Jewish Anglo doctors $60,000 to immigrate Responses: 64 Ex-U.S. envoy: Slim chance for Mideast peace by end of year Responses: 33 Historian threatens to expose post-Shoah pogroms in Poland Responses: 46 Gaza sniper kills farm volunteer; 11 killed in IDF raid Responses: 38 Yoel Marcus: Bush may be a lame duck, but he's determined Responses: 9 Rosner's Domain Obama "will be the friend we want in the White House" Defending and rejecting the NIE on Iran (WTR) Poll: Does Bush still placing the promotion of democracy at the top of his agenda? Iranian's threaten, the candidates threaten back Did Bush endorse Israel's attack in Syria? (WTR) More Headlines 13:41 Gaza sniper kills Ecuadorian volunteer on Negev kibbutz 13:16 Hamas leader Zahar's son killed in Gaza clashes with IDF 10:17 PM to aides: Progress in peace talks worth risk to coalition 13:40 Diplomat: U.S. objects to any building in W. Bank, E. J'lem 11:47 Israel offers Anglo doctors $60,000 in immigration incentive 10:59 Historian threatens to reveal Polish atrocities against Jews if tried for slander 09:36 Settler group refuses to vacate land slated for school for the disabled 11:09 Homeless woman dies of exposure to cold on bench in Bat Yam 11:08 Israel begins constructing 60 new homes in East Jerusalem 09:15 University heads: Deal with lecturers in 2 days or semester canceled 12:36 Plummeting dollar hits 9-year low, drops below NIS 3.7 Previous Editions Select Day 14 jan 13 jan 11 jan 10 jan 09 jan 08 jan 07 jan 06 jan 04 jan 03 jan 02 jan 01 jan

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