the ax has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore.

VOA: special.2009.11.23

U.S.officials have put pressure on the Israeli government to halt construction of settlements in east Jerusalem and the West Bank.

VOA: standard.2009.11.17

They live above the Mountain Aquifer, which the Palestinians share with Israel and its settlements in the West Bank.

VOA: standard.2009.08.01

"Our report shows that the construction in the settlements never stopped and this is not a settlement freeze,".

VOA: standard.2009.08.23

(Speech) He said the Israeli government is strangling the settlements and residents have a legitimate right to resist.

VOA: standard.2009.12.07

Israel wants negotiations without preconditions and is ready to offer no more than a partial, temporary freeze on construction in the settlements.

VOA: standard.2009.10.31

Furthermore,Mr.Netanyahu has said he supports the expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank - a source of enormous tension between Israelis and Palestinians.

VOA: standard.2009.04.09

He said that requires an end to anti-Israel incitement by the Palestinians and said the United States does not "accept the legitimacy" of continued Israeli settlements.

VOA: standard.2009.09.23

The United States opposes any construction in the settlements, and settlers are outraged.

VOA: standard.2009.05.29

What we are looking for is a real commitment from the Israeli government that they are committed to a two-state solution and to the cessation of settlements."

VOA: standard.2009.04.09

She urged both sides to return to talks as soon as possible and backed Israel's assertion that all demands over settlements should be dealt with during negotiations,not sooner.

VOA: standard.2009.11.01

The freeze allows for buildings already under construction in West Bank settlements to be completed and does not apply to East Jerusalem, which Palestinians want as their future capital.

VOA: standard.2009.11.25

Negotiations have been stalled for months,and analysts say the Israeli government's decision to expand a number of settlements appeared to be a major blow to efforts to revive them.

VOA: standard.2009.09.07

The U.S.and Palestinians see the settlements as an obstacle to peace.

VOA: standard.2009.09.12

The United States,which is a sponsor of the Middle East peace talks, says Israeli settlements are an obstacle to peace, and the issue has strained relations with Israel's right-wing government.

VOA: standard.2009.12.28

The issue is far from being settled. The United States has called for Israel to freeze settlement construction, but in response Israel insisted the freeze would be time-limited and exclude settlements currently under construction.

VOA: standard.2009.09.13

The Israeli leader wants to avoid entering full-fledged peace negotiations with the Palestinians that would require Israel to make concessions on sensitive issues such as the status of Jerusalem and Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

VOA: standard.2009.06.09

"You really need system-wide Skolkovas - Silicon Valley - otherwise it ends up just like under Catherine the Great when they imported a lot of German tradesmen and planted them in various settlements - but they were fairly self-contained.

VOA: standard.2010.06.18

A senior Middle East analyst with the International Crisis Group in Jerusalem,Rob Blecher, says frustration over continued expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, and the general lack of progress toward achieving a Palestinian state,has prompted the Palestinian leadership to look for new strategies.

VOA: standard.2010.05.03