Israel Matzav

Israel's de facto 'settlement freeze'

Shavua tov, a good week to everyone.

You thought that with the end of the 'settlement freeze' building would be unrestricted in Judea and Samaria. Or that it would at least be unrestricted in existing 'settlements.' Or that it would at least be unrestricted in 'settlements' that are within the 'security fence.' Or at least building would be unrestricted in 'settlements' that are part of the 'settlement blocs.' Sadly, you are wrong on all counts. And we have Ehud Barak to thank for that.

The mayors of the Ma’aleh Adumim and Ariel settlements have asked Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to break the silent freeze that threatens to choke their cities by authorizing new building.

While building has been allowed to resume in West Bank settlements since the 10- month moratorium on such activity ended on September 26, the mayors of these two cities have said that they are out of construction permits.

Without such permits, they said, a silent freeze is about to descend on their cities.

This week, Ma’aleh Adumim Mayor Benny Kashriel sent a letter to Netanyahu and called his bureau to ask for a meeting.

No such meeting has been scheduled to date, Kashriel told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.

Ma’aleh Adumim, along with Betar Illit and Modi’in Illit, the largest three Jewish West Bank communities, have consistently fueled the bulk of settlement growth for the last 14 years.

Last year, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics, 58% of all finished homes in the settlements were in those three cities alone.

But Kashriel has warned, and continues to warn, that this kind of growth is about to come to a halt.

The state budget, which the Knesset approved last week, set aside funds for 200 new homes in Ma’aleh Adumim, but according to the Construction and Housing Ministry, the project cannot move forward until it receives the approval of the Defense Ministry.

Sources in the Construction and Housing Ministry said that such approval was not likely to be granted in the near future, because no approval was being given at present for projects in West Bank settlements.

The funds that were approved for Ma’aleh Adumim construction, the sources said, allow the ministry to do preparatory work so the construction can move forward should Defense Minister Ehud Barak sign off on it.

Read the whole thing.

Netanyahu won't overrule Barak on this because it would cause Labor to leave the government (which they may do anyway), and Netanyahu is afraid of having his government branded as a 'Right Wing' government.

In the meantime, the housing shortage continues and Israel is squandering an opportunity to create many more facts on the ground.

What could go wrong?

Labels: Ariel, Beitar Ilit, Binyamin Netanyahu, Ehud Barak, Maaleh Adumim

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:19 PM