Egypt condemns Israeli construction of new settlements

Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr has condemned the Israeli decision of building 1,100 illegal settlements units close to eastern Jerusalem. Amr who is now visiting washington said in a statement here on Wednesday that such an israeli measure lacks to any legitimacy, and constitutes a flagrant and new israeli defiance to the world community parties concerned who are acting to revive and restore credibility to the political settlement peace process in the region. '''' Such a step reflects israel opting to continue its provocative policies and its defiance to the world consensus on the illegitiamcy of the israeli settlement activities'''', said Egyptian FM who also made clear that the Quartet Committee''s recent statement which mentioned nothing about the stress to halt settlement activities in the occupied palestinian lands , has encouraged israel to take such an arrogant and provocative position. He further said that the israeli side fully bear the responsibility for the consequences of these provocative policies it takes amid the extraordinary circumstances the region is now passing through. Amr flew in the US capital last night on a visit during which he meets a number of US officials.