TEL AVIV, December 2, 2012 (WAFA) – Israeli Housing and Construction Minister Ariel Atias announced that his ministry will begin next week the marketing of hundreds of settlement units in the East Jerusalem settlement neighborhood of Pisgat Ze'ev, Sunday reported the Israeli Walla news website.

This announcement came a day following the Israeli government’s approval to build 3000 housing units in West Bank and Jerusalem, which came as a response to Palestine gaining recognition at the United Nations as a non-member state on Thursday.

The website reported Atias saying that,” We decided to market the housing units as a response to president Mahmoud Abbas, who is making Israeli lose its legitimacy in the world.”

Meanwhile, Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert denounced the Israeli government’s decision to build 3000 new settlement units and considered it a “slap in the face” to U.S. president Barrack Obama.

“After Obama supported Israel in its war on Gaza and took the Israeli refusal position towards the Palestinian bid, Israel announces the building of 3000 units despite the fact that Obama opposes the settlement policy,” he said.

He questioned, “Why did Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly Oppose Palestine gaining a non-member status in the UN, although he had previously accepted the two-state solution?”

T.R./F.R.