The head Palestinian negotiator says that any new Israeli settlement building in the Occupied Territories would be considered a serious provocation that would threaten newly begun peace talks. Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said that Israel’s policies threatened to doom US efforts to reach a peace agreement.

Saeb Erekat: “Israel has the choice today: peace or settlements. These are two parallels that will not meet. They have to make the choice. If the Israelis decide to continue building settlements, dictation, incursions, assassinations, checkpoints, roadblocks, this will undermine the whole essence of what the Americans are trying to do in these proximity talks, which is to make peace.”

On Monday, the Israeli group Peace Now revealed that Israel plans to turn a disused police station in East Jerusalem into apartments for Jewish settlers.

Hagit Ofran, spokesperson for Peace Now: “Unfortunately, the settlers are trying again to torpedo the peace talks and to prevent the solution in Jerusalem by putting up a new settlement in a Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem, in Ras al-Amud (Damascus Gate).”