[17/March/2010]

GAZA, March 17 (Saba) -- Israeli foreign minister Avidgor Lieberman said Wednesday international calls to halt construction of housing units in settlements in occupied East Jerusalem were "illogical," according to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).

At a joint news conference with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton in Israel, Lieberman said "demands to banning Jews from construction in East Jerusalem are completely illogical.

"I think this demand represents, in different ways, a chance for the international community to strike at Israel and to exercise pressure on Israel and ask for illogical matters," said Lieberman.

Israel's decision to build 1,600 housing units in a settlement in East Jerusalem drew wide-scale condemnation and was made while US Vice-President Joe Biden was visiting Israel.
Ashton, meanwhile, met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, the West Bank, earlier today. Abbas gave Ashton a letter demanding a halt of the Israeli settlements' construction in the Palestinian territories.

The EU official - on her first visit to the region - is due to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and head of the opposition Kadima party Tzipi Livni later tonight.
Ashton had already visited Egypt, Lebanon and Syria.

Saba