Israel Matzav

Israel greenlights new 'Palestinian' city in Jordan Valley

Defense Minister Moshe "Boogie" Yaalon has approved the creation of 'Palestinian' facts on the ground by greenlighting the construction of a 'Palestinian' city in the Jordan Valley.

Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon has given the green light to a plan to build a new Palestinian Authority Arab city which will take away 2,000 dunams of Israeli land, the Ma’ariv daily reported on Friday.

Two weeks ago, the newspaper reported that the Civil Administration for Judea and Samaria is working diligently on advanced plans for establishing a new PA city near Jericho.

Ma’ariv reported that Nu'aimah, as the city stands to be called, is intended to house tens of thousands of residents and that Israel will transfer close to 2,000 dunam (500 acres) of land from the Jordan Valley Regional Council to the PA for the ambitious project.

Upon learning of the project, Yaalon instructed the Coordinator of Government Activities in Judea, Samaria and Gaza to freeze the project so he can study the details of the plan and any consequences that may result from its application.

Now that he has studied the plan, reported Ma’ariv, Yaalon has removed his objection to it. A source in the Defense Ministry told the newspaper that “the new city is being built as a residential response for Palestinian and Bedouin populations currently living illegally on state land."

The head of the Jordan Valley Regional Council, David Elhayani, warned on Tuesday that Israel would lose the Valley because of the construction of the new Arab city.

Meanwhile, a de facto freeze on Jewish construction in Judea and Samaria continues.  What could go wrong?

Labels: Jordan Valley, Judea and Samaria construction, settlement freeze

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:15 AM