As Talks Predictably Fumble, Israel Announces New Border Fences, Settlements

Ahead of an upcoming visit by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Israel has announced plans to build even more settlement buildings in the Occupied Territories of the West Bank and a new barrier fence along the Jordanian border.

Kerry is in the region visiting leaders in Egypt on Sunday and Saudi Arabia on Monday before heading to Jerusalem later in the week where he will meet with leaders from both Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

“I remain hopeful, and we will make every effort in the United States to move the process forward in a fair-handed way, a balanced way that reflects the complexity of these issues,” Kerry said, speaking at a news conference with Egyptian foreign minister Nabil Fahmy in Cairo on Sunday.

But the announcement of new construction plans by the Israelis amidst renewed peace negotiations has become a familiar tactic, and members of the PA were predictably scornful of the latest news.

As Al-Jazeera reports: