It began in ’68. The green light was given in ’96 and a year later it was ready to begin. But it would be frozen shortly thereafter. That is until now. Situations get fucked up.
What began in 1968 was the concluding phase of an Israeli housing plan for Jerusalem. Har Homa is an area of 468 acres. After a lengthy court appeal – tied up in Israeli courts – Shimon Peres made the decision to go ahead with construction. It mattered nothing that the Oslo Accords were meant to be in progress.
The announcement to build 6,500 Jewish [not Israeli?] homes for 40,000 settlers came in 1997. The obvious happened. Riots ensued. Oslo crumbled under the weight of it all. Heavy pressure by international actors froze the construction. That is until now. Situations get fucked up.
So now we have Annapolis: a photo op and ceremonial lunch for Bush on his final stretch. And now too we have Israel, approving of plans to build over 300 homes to expand Jewish settlement in east Jerusalem. What is now to become of the Annapolis Conference?
History looks destined to repeat itself. Situations really do get fucked up.
