The Supreme Planning Council of the Civil Administration today approved construction of more than 1,000 housing units throughout Judea and Samaria.
Almost half of the housing units, about 436, are located in the Samaria Regional Council. 108 units for immediate construction were approved in Nofim, the number of units expected to increase the community sitting in the Nahal Kana nature reserve by more than fifty percent. Also approved for immediate construction were 166 housing units in Tsufim that were planned about 20 years ago; 128 housing units were approved in Barkan, and 96 units were approved for deposit in Kiryat Netafim.
However, council head Yossi Dagan is not rushing to celebrate. "We're happy about each and every house in Samaria but the truth must be told, that hundreds of housing units aren't enough for an area that constitutes 12% of the State of Israel, with thousands of requests if not more every year.
"Half-a-million people in Judea and Samaria can't be satisfied with approval of a thousand housing units, which is clear to every reasonable person. We expect the government to shift into high gear, stop worrying about what they'll say overseas, and promote this beautiful region that's located in the heart of the country and has strategic and historical significance that's clear to everyone," added Dagan.
The Supreme Planning Council will approve construction of 400 new housing units in the village of Adam in Binyamin, where Yotam Ovadia Hy"d was murdered in a stabbing attack one month ago.
The Yesha Council expressed deep disappointment. "This is a small amount and the smallest number of housing units approved in the last year-and-a-half. In the previous committees, the number of building permits was between 2,000 and 3,000 housing units, which were also relatively small compared to the total number of permits in the entire country, which are tens of thousands of housing units.
"It is precisely a national government that shouldn't reduce construction, but expand. We call upon the Prime Minister to remove restrictions and barriers and order broad construction throughout Judea and Samaria, as in the rest of the country. This can and should be done today."