BBC:
The Israeli government has confirmed plans to increase the size of its largest settlement in the West Bank. Approximately 3,500 homes are planned for Maale Adumim, east of Jerusalem.
The settlements at Ariel in the northern West Bank, and Gush Etzion, south of Jerusalem, are also expected to be expanded.
Maale Adumim is essentially a suburb of Jerusalem. And I don't think that anybody, including Palestinian negotiators, expects Israel to give it back in the end. But it's not very helpful remove the veneer and announce a unilateral decision. Or to put it in more pragmatic terms, isn't now a good time for trust-building measures, and not pokes in the eye?
