The Knesset's Land of Israel lobby convened yesterday to mark a month since the official end of the construction freeze in Yesha.
Danny Dayan, Secretary-General of the Yesha Council of Jewish Communities in Judea and Samaria told the assembled Knesset Members from various parties: "Despite the official announcements, the freeze is continuing for 80 percent of the population of Judea and Samaria. Not one house has been approved for urban construction in areas where more than 80 percent of the population lives."
Housing Crunch?
Dayan said, "Everyone is talking about the housing crunch and the rising prices of apartments around the country – but one of the reasons for this is the construction freeze in Yesha. The future housing reserves of the Tel Aviv area and environs are here. Instead of making mortgages more expensive for young couples in order to lower housing prices, isn't it simpler and more correct to immediately approve construction in Judea and Samaria?"
Statistics gathered by the Yesha Council show that Defense Minister Ehud Barak, whose signature is required on all new construction in Judea and Samaria, is holding up the construction of over 4,000 new units that have already been approved by the Housing Ministry. These include 503 in Ariel, nearly 1,000 in Beitar Illit, 213 in Maaleh Adumim, 134 in Adam just outside Jerusalem, and 438 in Karnei Shomron.
Netanyahu Gave the Order and Barak Complied
Some MKs, such as Tzipi Hotovely of the Likud, stated that Barak should be stripped of his responsibilities to approve construction. In response, National Union party head MK Yaakov Katz (Ketzaleh) said, "Everyone keeps talking about Barak, but he is not the boss. All complaints are to be directed to one person and one person alone: Binyamin Netanyahu. He's the one who makes the final decisions. When he wanted to plant saplings on Tu B'Shvat in Gush Etzion, Chanan Porat told him that he was not invited unless 40 housing units received approval – and Barak approved them the same day."
Lobby chairman MK Aryeh Eldad said, "It is incumbent upon every member of this forum to work with the tools at his disposal to make sure that the government implements the Cabinet decision to continue construction to the same extent – at least – that previous governments did."
A suggestion that the MKs agree to restrict new construction to the settlement blocs was shouted down by other participants.
"The freeze has been frozen," said MK Ze'ev Elkin (Likud), "but has not been thawed. We must therefore take steps to ensure that construction resumes, via new tenders and marketing of lots."
Also participating was Oded Revivi, Mayor of Efrat, where 435 approved housing units are awaiting Barak's signature. "Though the freeze has officialy ended," Revivi said, "in Efrat, the capital of Gush Etzion, plots of land developed by the Housing Ministry nine years ago at a cost of tens of millions of shekels have still not been marketed. This is in total opposition to promises and decisions by the Government of Israel."
The lobby released a statement declaring that more than 4,000 units are immediately required, and calling upon Netanyahu, Barak, and Housing Minister Ariel Attias (Shas) to issue tenders for construction throughout Judea and Samaria.