Itamar entrance sign
Itamar entrance signIsrael news photo: Arutz Sheva

 

Channel 10 television showed its viewers a formal document Thursday night that advances a zoning plan for the community of Itamar in Samaria and makes reference to the heinous murder of the Fogel family in the community earlier this year.
 
The report featured a letter from the Section for Settlement within the Prime Minister’s Office, which says: “Following the terror attacks in Itamar, Central District has decided to give precedence to advancing the zoning plan.”
 
“The plan will include the 210 housing units that were originally planned, with the addition of 50 more units. We ask that the budget be approved.”
 
According to the report, while Defense Minister Ehud Barak (Independence) has withheld approval of the zoning plan until now, the Section under Netanyahu has decided to move forward with the plan. Knesset members from Left and Right have demanded that the zoning plan be approved.
 
The Defense Ministry’s reaction to the story was to state that “Itamar is a legal community that was established a long time ago in accordance with a government decision. The Ministry of Defense is working to complete the statutory processes regardless of the murder. Lately staff work has been going on and it will be presented to the Defense Minister upon completion.” 
 
Civil Administration inspectors accompanied by Yasam special police handed out notices of demolition to two structures at Givat Aryeh near Itamar at around noon Thursday.
 
The structures were built in memory of the slain members of the Fogel family and the name Aryeh is composed of a Hebrew acronym of the murdered father, mother, and three children.\
 
There are two structures and a small synagogue at the site.