Berlin - The German government has strongly criticized Israel over plans to build housing on occupied land in East Jerusalem, ahead of the visit of Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle there later Monday. "We deeply regret the recent decision to build new settlement apartments in East Jerusalem. The building of settlements in East Jerusalem is a huge stumbling block on the road to sustainable advances in the peace process," spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm told journalists.
The housing units are to be built in Gilo, which Israel says is a suburb of Jerusalem, but which is located on land captured in the 1967 Middle East War and claimed by Palestinians as the capital of their future state. Plans for the construction were announced on November 17.
"The cessation of settlement building, including so-called natural growth, is part of the road-map to which Israel has agreed," Wilhelm said.
Westerwelle is expected in Israel later Monday, and will meet with President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman for talks. He is also set to visit the Holocaust memorial, Yad Vashem.
The foreign minister is due to meet Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in Ramallah on Tuesday.
On November 30 the German and Israeli governments are due to hold consultations in Berlin. Wilhelm said the issue of a restart of peace talks "without preconditions" would be high on the agenda.
