Studies show that US coverage is Israeli-centric. The main bureaus for CNN, Associated Press, Time, etc. are located in Israel and often staffed by Israelis. The son of the NY Times bureau chief is in the Israeli army;"pundit" Jeffrey Goldberg served in the IDF; Wolf Blitzer worked for AIPAC. Because the U.S. gives Israel over $8 million/day - more than to any other nation - we feel it is essential that we be fully informed on this region. Below are news reports to augment mainstream coverage.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Israel approves expansion of 2,000 illegal Israeli homes on Palestinian land

Ma'an, AFP -- Israel's Jerusalem municipality approved the expansion of 2,000 homes in the settlement district of Ramat Shlomo in occupied East Jerusalem on Sunday, allowing each Israeli home to add an additional room, a council press statement said.

The announcement of new settlement activity came as Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak told France 24 television that, "there is no real way to announce an end to construction. There's half a million people living there."

Palestinian Authority officials were quick to condemn the statement.

All settlement activity is considered illegal under international law and settlements are one of the major obstacles to a peace agreement.

Israel has occupied the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem since 1967.

[Israel almost never allows Palestinians to add on to their homes.]
at 6/19/2011 09:32:00 AM