A special committee of the Interior Ministry recommended to annex the town of Keidar to Maaleh Adumim, a city three kilometers away. The annexation would add another 12,000 dunam (over 2,965 acres) to the municipality. The Interior Ministry decided to make its recommendations in a recent report despite U.S. objections to Jewish settling within Judea and Samaria. Keidar’s 800 residents would receive most of its municipal benefits from the neighboring Maaleh Adumim, located 4.5 miles (7 km) east of Jerusalem, on the edge of the Judean desert.
The Interior Ministry report calls for the annexation of additional land to Maaleh Adumim, along with plans to build another 6,000 housing units. However, Ministry officials stated Sunday that the recommendations aren’t necessary and will still require approval by Interior Minister Eli Yishai. The Ministry regards the decision’s political ramifications as “minor, if at all.”
The Interior Ministry report calls for the annexation of additional land to Maaleh Adumim, along with plans to build another 6,000 housing units. However, Ministry officials stated Sunday that the recommendations aren’t necessary and will still require approval by Interior Minister Eli Yishai. The Ministry regards the decision’s political ramifications as “minor, if at all.”
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