Mayors in several cities in Judea and Samaria report that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has refused to approve any new construction in their cities despite recent assurances that he considers major Jewish settlement blocs to be different than smaller communities. While Olmert recently said that he thinks of Maaleh Adumim as a part of Jerusalem, Maaleh Adumim Mayor Benny Kashriel reported that Olmert refused to approve construction in the area, and even rejected plans to build schools and kindergartens.
According to Kashriel, Olmert explained that the new construction could upset Palestinian Authority officials, who are currently negotiating with Israel over the establishment of a PA state in Judea and Samaria. Kashriel said that if Olmert did not approve new school buildings by September, “I’ll bring the children to his office and they can study there.”