The number of Americans opposing settlements jumped 23-percent since 2002 to approximately 75-percent, according to a new poll. The U.S.-backed Road Map for Peace calls for an immediate freeze on settlements while Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s posture towards settlements remains in question. Almost exactly half of those questioned, though, expressed equal sympathy for both Israelis and Palestinians. Meanwhile, the United Nations issued a report stating that 60,000 Palestinians could lose their homes if demolishes in and around Jerusalem continue. The destruction of these homes would make way for settlement expansion and solidification of Jerusalem as part of a greater Israel as opposed to being split in the event of a two-state solution.
Numbers also emerged from the Palestinian Chamber of Commerce in Gaza, indicating that unemployment reached 65-percent and poverty hit 80-percent. These numbers spiked following Hamas’ coup of the Strip that increased terror activity, leading to an Israeli blockade on the area.
