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Israeli minister plans Arab city
Israel's Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit says he wants to build a new Arab city in the north of Israel.
It would be the first city built for Israel's Arabs - who make up nearly 20% of the population - since the country was founded in 1948.
Mr Sheetrit said he wanted the plans to be completed and submitted for government approval by the year's end.
Meanwhile, Israel announced plans for 1,100 new homes in East Jerusalem - a decision condemned by Palestinians.
"Once again we ask the Israeli government to give peace a chance by stopping all settlement activity," Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said.
Israeli settlements in the occupied territories are deemed illegal under international law.
'Modern city'
Mr Sheetrit announced plans for a new Arab city during a visit to the northern Arab town of Umm al-Fahm.
"I aspire to create a new Arab city in the Galilee and I am working on the planning for the project," the interior minister said.
"It will be a modern city, where young couples can afford to buy property and live just like in any other city in the world," he said.
Israel is home to about 1.2 million Arabs, who are the descendants of Palestinians who remained there after the state was formed in 1948.
Mr Sheetrit's announcement was welcomed by Samir Hussein, the Arab head of the local council in Dir Hanna, in the Galilee.
"I believe him and this sounds serious. This is a tremendously important step," he told Israeli news outlet Ynetnews.com.
"I haven't heard of such a plan, but I'm sure it is feasible and that there are many places in the Galilee where such a city can be built quickly," he added.
Mr Sheetrit was speaking only two days after hitting the headlines for his outspoken response to a rocket attack from Gaza that badly injured a young Israeli boy.
He told fellow cabinet members they should pick a neighbourhood in Gaza and "wipe it out".
Story from BBC NEWS
The Arab city in N. Israel--Occupied Palestine--will be on the flight path of Israeli Air Force F-16's making bombing runs and raising other hell, on their way to bombing Lebanon.
And will be in the way of the IOF, when it makes the next illegal war of aggression into Lebanon.
The Arab city will be nothing more than a free-fire zone in which IOF troops can sight in their weapons and bombsites before unleashing more hell on Lebanon.
Many Arabs in Palestine are not Palestinian. Some are in the Knesset.
All non-Palestinian Arabs will be herded into the “Arab City,” which will become a walled prison, like Gaza.
As as Greg Bacon hints, Jews wants Arabs concentrated in one area. When Jews attack a state like Lebanon, and lose again, Jews will vent their wrath on the collected Arabs in the prison city.
And the world will bless Israel.
Have you noticed that racial supremacists often have a problem with judging how they are seen?