The left-wing Meretz party has threatened to leave the Jerusalem city council coalition over plans to build a housing project for Jewish families in a neighborhood in the eastern part of the city. The project has been dubbed “Kidmat Tzion.”
Meretz representatives say they believe the project to be illegal, as it violates laws regarding Israeli construction in Judea and Samaria. Such laws do not apply in Jerusalem, which has been annexed to Israel, but the party does not respect the annexation. “All of east Jerusalem is a settlement to me,” council member Pepe Alalu told Arutz Sheva.