Israel Matzav

Confirmed: De facto building freeze in 'east' Jerusalem

Housing and Construction Minister Uri Ariel (Bayit Yehudi - Jewish Home), who was in the opposition to the last government as a member of a 'far right' party, has confirmed that there is a de facto building freeze for Jews only in 'east' Jerusalem.

“This is very problematic,” Ariel told Army Radio. “The facts speak for themselves. This is something that needs to be taken up with the prime minister’s bureau.”

Army Radio reported earlier this week that political figures and technocrats in a number of government agencies accuse Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his aides of stymieing efforts to populate the predominantly Arab portion of the capital city, which was captured in the 1967 Six-Day War, with Jews.

Critics of the prime minister, including officials in the Israel Land Administration, the Jerusalem municipality, and the Yesha Council, say Netanyahu is fearful of international criticism. It is this fear, they say, that is driving him to break a campaign promise to continue Jewish construction beyond the Green Line.

According to Housing Ministry statistics cited by Army Radio, the government green-lighted the sale of 200 apartments over the course of 2010 and 2011. Last year, the government authorized the sale of 1,500 apartments in eastern Jerusalem. ILA officials say officials in the prime minister’s bureau have directly intervened to prevent the marketing of available land to the public.

 Our 'eternal, indivisible capital'? What the....

And PS to Minister Ariel, you and your party are propping up this wicked government by sitting in it, and you are dictating and are responsible for its policies through your partnership with Yair Lapid. You have known this for weeks, and neither you nor your so-called leader has said a word about it until now. Were it not for the city bureaucrats and people outside government, you would likely still be playing along with Netanyahu's game. 'Nuff said.

Labels: Binyamin Netanyahu, East Jerusalem, Jerusalem construction, Naftali Bennett, Uri Ariel, Yair Lapid

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:13 PM