Mayor Meir Rubinstein of the prominently haredi-religious Judean community of Beitar Illit has appealed to the haredi representatives in the Knesset to oppose Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's intention to approve thousands of housing units in Judea and Samaria, without any reference to the haredi communities.
Rubinstein's appeal follows removal of the discussion on the city's new industrial zone from the agenda of the Supreme Planning Council of the Civil Administration. Rubinstein has been promoting the 800-dunam (200-acre) zone for more than a decade as a way to provide the city with vital economic independence. According to the mayor, who also serves as chairman of the Forum of Haredi Local Authorities in the Center for Local Government, the removal of the industrial zone from the agenda is not only a breach of an explicit promise of the prime minister to Deri, but also a spitting in the face of the haredi public.