Construction in Jerusalem (illustrative)
Construction in Jerusalem (illustrative)Yonatan Sindel/Flash 90

The Israeli government thawed part of the de facto building freeze in Jerusalem Tuesday, after the Jerusalem Municipality announced approval of 500 units for completion and 1,000 for construction in the Jewish neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo. 

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu placed his personal stamp of approval for the 500 units already tendered and waiting for completion Tuesday, despite an expected condemnation from Washington. 

Chairman of the Local Committee for Planning and Building in Jerusalem, Meir Turgeman, announced the development in an interview with Army Radio.  

"I decided to appeal to all parties in the Housing Ministry and the Israel Lands Administration to ask for another 1,000 housing units for development," he noted on a morning show. The Moriah building company, a municipal company, will be in charge of the building. 

The Land of Israel Caucus in the Knesset, MKs Yoav Kisch (Likud) and Betzalel Smotrich (Jewish Home), welcomed the development Tuesday morning. 

"We believe that this is the beginning of a change in government policy regarding everything to do with the rights to build in the land of our forefathers," they said in a joint statement.