Construction of Amichai
Construction of AmichaiArutz Sheva

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will on Sunday submit for government approval a draft resolution to allow the continuation of the construction of the town of Amichai, the new community for the residents of Amona who were evicted from their homes.

Netanyahu had previously promised to ensure the acceleration of the construction work and even instructed his Chief of Staff, Yoav Horowitz, to take action on the matter. Now the Prime Minister is fulfilling that promise and is bringing the proposal to a Cabinet vote.

The construction of Amichai has been frozen in recent weeks due to a dispute in the government over which ministries should finance the work.

In the proposal that will be brought to the Cabinet, Netanyahu will ask the ministers to approve the transfer of a budget of 55 million shekels from the Finance Ministry to the Interior Ministry, which will be given to the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council for assistance in establishing Amichai.

In addition, the Ministry of Finance will transfer an additional budget of 5 million shekels to the Defense Ministry, which will be given as special assistance to the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council in order to rent guest rooms for the Amona expellees until they are able to move into their new homes.

Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel (Jewish Home) earlier this week visited the site of Amichai and called for the construction process to resume quickly.

"I am turning to the Prime Minister and telling him, ‘All the discussions are not interesting’. If the delays continue, the people of Amona will simply go up to the land - if it's in tents, if it's in caravans - and I'll join them. We need to provide the additional budget and end this injustice," said Ariel.

"I spoke with the Prime Minister's Office in order to pass the budget, and if not, there are other ways to realize the right and obligation to be here with the residents of Amona. I estimate that if the work continues, within a few months it will possible to begin building the houses,” he continued.

(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)