Two Israeli government ministers disclosed on Wednesday that the Defense Ministry body responsible for authorizing settlement construction has advanced plans for the construction of 3,426 new Israeli homes beyond the Green Line, as reported by the Washington Post.
Following a prolonged period of inactivity in approving West Bank construction projects, Settlements Minister Orit Strock revealed that projects for 2,402 new homes in Ma’ale Adumim, 694 homes in Efrat, and 330 homes in Keidar have been greenlit by the Civil Administration’s High Planning Subcommittee.
These projects in Ma’ale Adumim and Keidar received approval through an earlier planning stage known as “deposit,” while the housing plans for Efrat received a more final planning approval before construction could commence.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who oversees the subcommittee, framed the recent expansion as an appropriate response to a terror attack near Ma’ale Adumim on February 22. Smotrich described it as a demonstration of resilience against attempts to weaken Israel.
Shlomo Ne’eman, chairman of the Yesha umbrella group of settler mayors, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that the continuation of construction in Judea and Samaria is a vital Zionist response, particularly during challenging times.
Settlement leaders have been advocating for the convening of the committee to expedite approvals for new housing in West Bank settlements. The council’s meetings had been delayed for months, primarily due to the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
Smotrich highlighted in his announcement that a record number of 18,515 homes have been approved in the West Bank over the past year and two months since the current government assumed power. The government’s hardline stance has resulted in the advancement of plans for more settler homes than in any previous year.
The majority of the international community, along with the Palestinians, considers settlement construction illegal and a hindrance to a two-state solution. With over 500,000 Israelis residing in the West Bank, tensions surrounding settlements persist as a major obstacle to peace efforts.
The announcement of renewed West Bank construction drew criticism from the Biden administration. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirmed the long-standing US policy that new settlements are counterproductive to achieving lasting peace and are inconsistent with international law.
Blinken’s remarks effectively overturned the policy introduced by the previous administration, which took a neutral or even supportive stance on Israel’s presence beyond the Green Line, challenging decades-old US positions on West Bank settlements.
In response to the latest approvals, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller reiterated the US stance that settlements continue to impede peace efforts and are inconsistent with international law, echoing Blinken’s sentiments.
Germany joined the US in condemning the approvals, calling on Israel to withdraw them immediately, citing the serious violation of international law posed by building settlements in occupied Palestinian territories.
The Palestinian Authority, Hamas, and Jordan also vehemently denounced Israel’s actions, with PA President Mahmoud Abbas’s spokesperson describing it as a slap in the face to nations advocating an end to settlement activities. Similarly, Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized the move, accusing Israel of attempting to alter the historical and legal status quo in occupied Palestinian territories.
{Matzav.com Israel}
And at the same time, Jordan wants Israel to “alter the status quo” and increase the amount of water it supplies Jordan without receiving anything in return!!!!
Strange. Anywhere else in the western world, if you say a person cannot build a house in a certain neighborhood because he or she is Jewish — that’s considered discrimination. The Palestinians say “no Jews allowed” and the western world wholeheartedly agrees
These lying plans to mollify religious Jews have been going on for years under Bibi and earlier but it was only make belief. They never came to pass. If anything, more Jewish homes were destroyed since then. Now, they’re trying it again and again will not come to pass until the government will be replaced by real Jews.