Get ready to answer the condemnation of Israel by EU ministers.

Get ready for the blanket condemnation of Israel by EU ministers against Israeli notification of the lodging of plans to build homes in Jerusalem and Maale Adumim areas.

 Here are some of the facts that fly in the face of their condemnation and shouts of "illegality."

 1. The E1 area is 12 sq.kilometres adjacent to Maale Adumim, home of 40,000 Jewish inhabitants located just 4 miles from Jerusalem. Maale Adumim will remain within the boundaries of Israel in any future peace agreement.

 2. This fact was reaffirmed by every leading Israeli politician including Rabin, Peres, Barak, Yosi Beilin, Olmert, and Livni.

 3. At the outset of the Oslo Accords, and as a clear understanding of the future framework of the Road Map approved by the EU, Yizchak Rabin provided the mayor of Maale Adumim with annexation documents for E1 as this, in no way, breached the Oslo Accords.

4. As quid pro quo for Israel's unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2004, the Bush administration agreed to take into account the demographic changes caused by the Gaza residents being dislodged from their homes in Gaza to live in the E1 area in existing Jewish settlements like Maale Adumim.

 5. There is no truth in the rumour that building in E1 would prevent contiguity to a future Palestinian state.

 

6. The Jerusalem areas including in the E1 planning permit are within the legal boundaries of Jerusalem Municipality.

 6. For more than a decade, Israel deferred to international requests to delay planning and construction in E1 to appease the Palestinians. During that period the PA refused peace offers, refused to neogtiate with the current Israeli Prime Minister, incited hatred against Israel, perpetrated an intense rocket attack on Israeli civilians, and in breach of all signed agreements sidestepped israel to demand improved status at the UN.

 7. The European Union abrogated their responsibilities to the Oslo agreement by not condmening the Palestinian move at the UN. In fact, most of them actually voted with the Palestinian in defiance of their obligations according to the Interim Agreement of Oslo.

 8. The EU ministers did not condemn the violently anti-Israel Palestinian declaration coming out of Gaza and Ramallah that calls for an end to the Jewish state. They did not meet to condemn the deadly Palestinian attacks against Israel. It decided only to condemn Israeli building in areas already agreed to be integral parts of Israel, and call it "illegal."

 9. None of the land included in the E1 planning belongs to Palestinians.