Israel’s government went on a spending binge in West Bank settlements following the election of US President Donald Trump, according to official data obtained by The Associated Press.
New figures obtained in a freedom of information request show a 39 percent increase in 2017 spending on roads, schools and public buildings across the West Bank.
Hagit Ofran, a researcher with the anti-settlement monitoring group Peace Now, says it appears that Trump’s election has emboldened Israel’s pro-settler government.
A crane is used at the construction site in the West Bank settlement of Amichai on September 7, 2018. (AFP/Thomas Coex)
“They are not shy anymore with what they are doing,” she says. “They feel more free to do whatever they want.”
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, says: “This proves that the current US administration encouraged settlement activities.”
— AP
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From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, May 14, 2019
