Israel to press with settlement building in Quds

Israeli Economy Minister Naftali Bennett, whose Jewish Home party opposes a Palestinian state, has urged more settlement construction in the occupied al-Quds ('Jerusalem') after a Palestinian driver rammed his car to a crowd of Zionist settlers on Wednesday.

The firebrand minister said Israel should respond to such incidents by building more housing for Jews in the eastern side of the occupied city and the occupied West Bank.

“What we need to do is declare we are here to stay, that we are building more in our capital, and I call on the prime minister to give approval for such construction,” Bennett told Army Radio today.

Hamas said in an e-mailed statement thath the attack was “a natural response to the violations and aggression carried out by Israeli soldiers and settlers.”