BBC News - Israel to speed up settler homes after Unesco vote

BBC News - Israel to speed up settler homes after Unesco vote

Israel to speed up settler homes after Unesco vote

Unesco states voted overwhelmingly in favour of the Palestinians' bid on Monday

Continue reading the main story

Palestinian UN membership bid

• Q&A: Bid explained
• Palestinians score points at UN
• Showdown at UN
• Israeli view

Israel says it will speed up Jewish settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem - and freeze the transfer of funds to the Palestinian Authority.

The announcement comes a day after the Palestinians won full membership of the UN cultural organisation, Unesco.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says the move will speed up the destruction of the peace process.
The Israeli government has called the Unesco vote a "tragedy".
The BBC's Kevin Connolly says the latest Israeli announcement is a blunt political statement, but doesn't come as a surprise.
He says it will be seen as a punishment for the Palestinians and a warning to the countries that backed their Unesco bid that Israel will react more strongly still if a similar application for Palestinian membership of the UN itself should prove successful.