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Israel okays construction of 28 public buildings in settlements

Jerusalem_(dpa) _ Israel said Friday it was authorizing the construction of 28 new public buildings in West Bank settlements, one day after it announced a 10-month suspension of Israeli building in the occupied territory.

That suspension applies to new residential buildings only, and also also excludes East Jerusalem - as well as some 3,000 apartments elsewhere in West Bank settlements whose construction has already begun.

Defence Minister Ehud Barak signed the approvals late Thursday, his office said in a statement sent to the German Press-Agency dpa Friday.

The buildings include schools which are scheduled to open for the next school year in September 2010.

"We all have an obligation to conduct an open and attentive dialogue with the settler leaders," said Barak, of the coalition left-to-centre Labour Party, according to the statement.

He nonetheless warned: "There must be no confusion: The state means what it says. To anyone who asks if the government intends to implement yesterday's decision, I say: That answer is positive. This is a real test for Israeli democracy."

He spoke after settler leaders announced late Thursday they regarded as "not legitimate" the Israeli government's decision not to allow building start-ups of residential buildings for 10 months. It vowed to continue building and ignore the government order.

Israeli authorities have said they plan to upscale inspections to counter the illegal building.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the partial, temporary moratorium late Wednesday saying he hoped it would allow a revival of peace talks, but the Palestinians rejected it, demanding a full freeze throughout the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat called the move Israeli "propaganda" and urged the international community to pressure Israel to accept a full freeze.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said in Santiago Thursday that Netanyahu's offer contained "nothing new" and that the hardline Israeli premier had had an opportunity to choose between settlements and peace - and chose settlements. dpa ok mt

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