Betar Illit expansion will be approved

     In a move viewed by many as an effort to ensure Shas remains in his coalition, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Monday that the construction of 800 new housing units in Betar Illit would be approved. Also Monday, Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lulolianski's plan for 600 new housing units in Pisgat Ze'ev was authorized by the capital's planning committee. At Monday's Kadima faction meeting, Olmert stressed that building in Jewish neighborhoods in east Jerusalem as well as in the major settlement blocs will continue as they will remain under Israeli sovereignty in any agreement reached with the Palestinians. "We don't hide our views on Jerusalem and major settlement blocs, we are being honest about everything throughout the negotiations," he added. The prime minister dismissed reports that new settlements were being built. "We are not building new settlements, everyone must understand this. However, Betar Illit, for example is not a settlement." Olmert added that the negotiating team was working hard to reach a peaceful resolution with the Palestinians but emphasized that reports of dramatic progress in negotiations were exaggerated. "The peace talks are being conducted seriously. We will do all we can to reach an understanding in 2008 which will define the two-state solution," said Olmert. The prime minister stressed the importance of the list of measures to ease the lives of Palestinians which were presented by Defense Minister Ehud Barak Sunday during a meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salaam Fayad. "The gestures Barak spoke of yesterday are certainly in that direction. They are very important because we want negotiations to be conducted in a fair atmosphere so that they can succeed. "We have no interest in foiling the peace talks. We are conducting them so that they will succeed and we believe they will." (17,01)