United States President George Bush has said that he will tell Israel to remove unauthorized Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria during his visit to the region next week. Unauthorized communities and the expansion of existing, authorized communities “can be an impediment to success,” Bush said.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has agreed to freeze construction in Jewish cities in Judea and Samaria, and recently announced that all building plans in the area require his approval. Olmert has frozen construction even in “settlement blocs” such as Ariel that most governments have insisted will belong to Israel in any agreement to establish an Arab state in Yesha.