TEL AVIV, April 4, 2011 (WAFA) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Ehud Barak approved on Monday a plan for the expansion of  the settlement of Nofim, located on the western edge of the northern West Bank.

The decision came on the eve of a visit by Israeli President Shimon Peres to the United States where he will meet with President Barack Obama.

The US opposes Israeli settlement expansion, which it considers an obstacle to peace. The Palestinians also demand an Israeli halt to all settlement activities if negotiations with Israel are to resume.

The approval came as a result of extreme Israeli right-wing pressure on Netanyahu and Barak, according to Israeli news reports, to approve a master plan for the settlement in spite of their refusal to approve expansion plans for 12 other settlements in the West Bank.

Nofim was founded in 1987 and currently houses 175 Jewish families.

T.R./M.A.