Israel presses ahead with new homes before peace talks
Israel is moving forward with a plan to build nearly 900 new settlement housing units in east Jerusalem in a move that angered Palestinians a day before the sides were to hold peace talks for the first time in nearly five years.
The Israeli announcement threatened to poison the atmosphere ahead of tomorrow’s talks, which come after months of mediation by US Secretary of State John Kerry. In an initial gesture ahead of the talks, Israel was set to release 26 Palestinian prisoners.
