Israel Matzav

Government laying groundwork for expanding Judea and Samaria towns

Finally, it looks like Jewish construction in Judea and Samaria may be moving ahead. The Jewish town of Nofim has been granted a municipal zoning plan.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, it what seems to be a move inspired by right-wing pressures, agreed Sunday on a new zoning plan for the West Bank settlement of Nofim. The rare move effectively enables further developments of the settlement.

Nofim residents said that despite the settlement existing for over 24 years – following an official governmental decision – and it being built on lands acquired legally from Palestinians, Barak has yet to sign off on a zoning plan for what they claim are "political reasons". This caused the government to stop investing in the settlement and left many zoning plans untouched.

"The Sasson Report has tainted us all," said Nofim residents, recalling the 2005 official document inferring that Israeli state bodies had diverted millions to West Bank settlements and outposts' construction plans, which are considered illegal under Israeli law.

"For almost six years now we've been suffering from lack of legitimacy despite the fact the government is responsible for building and sending us here," a Nofim resident added.

...

Even homes that were built there have not received a 'Form 4' permitting to populate the area, according to residents. "All this while kibbutzim and many other communities in the State exist without a signed zoning plan," they said.

Nofim is a secular - and not a religious - town.

That article from YNet claims that of the twelve Jewish towns in Judea and Samaria that do not have zoning plans, only two - Neve Tzuf and Kiryat Netafim - have begun proceedings to finalize those plans. But Arutz Sheva tells a different story.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak are expected to approve urban plans for six communities in Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley. The communities in question are Chemdat, Eshkolot, Kiryat Netafim, Neve Tzuf Chalamish, Nofim and Rotem.

Barak associates stress that although the plans are officially called urban construction plans, no construction is planned for the six communities. At the same time, approval of the plans allows state institutions to build on their property and add security roads and other facilities.

We need a new defense minister. But then, we already knew that.

Labels: Binyamin Netanyahu, Ehud Barak, Kiryat Netafim, Neve Tzuf, Nofim

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:36 PM