Education Minister Naftali Bennett (Jewish Home) and Interior Minister Aryeh Deri (Shas) demanded at Tuesday's coalition meeting that Prime Minister Netanyahu approve Jewish construction in the Hizkiyahu (Hezekiah) neighborhood of Hevron.
The heads of the Jewish Home and Shas parties stressed that the land in the neighborhood meets all the necessary criteria, both legally and politically, and there is no reason not to allow the Jewish community to develop.
Netanyahu promised in response that he would work to advance the issue in the near future.
The Hizkiyahu neighborhood is located between the Shavei Hevron Yeshiva and an Israel Defense Forces base. It was established in the name of Rabbi Chizkiyahu Medini and the several Jewish families who live there are in caravans (demobilized trailers).
In August, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman approved the granting of municipal status to the Jewish community in Hebron. The move, which was initiated by Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (Jewish Home) and Deputy Defense Minister Rabbi Eli Ben Dahan (Jewish Home), will unite Hevron's Jewish residents from a municipal standpoint and allow them to lead an independent lifestyle and not depend on the Palestinian Authority's Hebron municipality.
The move also means that the Hebron Municipal Committee will be entitled to purchase and hold land and to enter into contracts and tenders.
The committee will become a local municipal administration and will be authorized to promote the economic, social, cultural, health and educational issues of Hevron's Jewish residents.
Deri has been vigorously promoting Hevron's Jewish community of late. In early September, Deri toured Kiryat Arba and Hevron, and prayed at the Cave of the Patriarchs with other Shas MKs.
"There is a large community of observant people here, it was a pleasure to see the students in the Cave of the Patriarchs, and it is very exciting to be here before Rosh Hashanah, and to ask our forefathers and foremothers to pray for us," said Deri. "I am happy to see that soon, after long and intense work, the Jewish community in Hevron will be recognized as a local council."