Israel issued, on Thursday, building tenders for settlement constructions in the West Bank, directly violating the Road Map Plan for peace in the Middle East.
Israeli online daily Haaretz reported that The Israel Lands Administration (ILA) issued tenders for building 13 lots in Maali Adumim settlement, east of Jerusalem, while the Israeli Housing Ministry also issued tenders for building infrastructures in the settlements of Maali Adumim, Ariel and Adam.  ÂÂ
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Haaretz stated that the bids are for constructions within the settlement blocs, which will remain under Israeli control, according to the Israeli government policy. ÂÂ
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Israeli Peace Now Movement voice a sharp criticism to the new bids, and considered them a violation to the US backed Road Map Plan. ÂÂ
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Israel announced 315 tenders for constructions in West Bank settlements since the beginning of 2005.
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It is worth mentioning that these tenders were issued only 24 hours after the Israeli Defense Minister, Shaul Mofaz, said that “settlement blocks will always be the eastern border of Israel.
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Mofaz, while touring in the West Bank, vowed that Israel will build between Maali Adumim settlement and Jerusalem. He added that the cabinet will make a decision regarding this issue before the Israeli elections.
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He met with council heads of Efrat, and Betar settlements, who told him that the Separation Wall is political and not security, and asked him to alter some routes of the Wall in order to enable future settlement expansions.
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Mofaz also stated, on Wednesday, that construction of the Separation Wall in the West Bank, lining up with settlement blocs and enforcing them should be resumed, Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported.
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During his Wednesday tour in Gush Atzion settlement bloc, near the West Bank city of Hebron, Mofaz stated that ‘Settlements should be reinforced in the West Bank, especially the settlements blocks of Bietar Elite, Gush Etzion, Maali Adumim, Biet Arieh, Ariel and Jordan Valley settlements.
