The news came in a phone call Thursday afternoon from Defense Minister Amir Peretz’s assistant, Yaakov Bachar, to the head of the Jordan Valley Regional Council, Duby Tal.
“Minister Peretz has decided to freeze all building in Maskiot until further notice,” said Bachar. He did not say why, nor did he say when or if that decision might change.
A group of Jews forcibly evicted from their seaside homes have been waiting to move into new homes and rebuild their community in Maskiot for more than a year and a half.
The site, established in 1981 as an IDF base, was built with the specific intention of eventually becoming a town for civilians. At present, a handful of families already live in permanent homes in Maskiot, as well as 50 students who attend a pre-military academy there.
In an exclusive interview with Arutz-7, Tal said the Regional Council immediately appealed to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to overturn Peretz’s decision.
“We requested that the Prime Minister intervene in this matter,” he said. Olmert was set to make an official announcement on the start of construction at the site next week, according to a report by Channel 2 TV news.
“We hope the prime minister will keep his word,” Tal told Arutz-7 Friday morning. “Peretz did not honor his own promise,” he added.
Government sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, claimed that Peretz had notified the Council two weeks ago of the freeze, saying he wanted to "re-evaluate the project."
The quiet notice came despite a public statement by Peretz on December 26th that he had given the final go-ahead for the project after a 14-month process in which the plans advanced through six different phases of approval.
Tal said he believed the decision to nix the community was connected with the upcoming Labor party primary elections scheduled to be held in May.
“It is a very significant statement that the Minister of Defense is freezing approvals that were already given,” he commented. “It is a statement about the value of settlement in general,” said Tal.
“Peretz must be against settlement in the Jordan Valley,” he added, pointing out that the embattled defense minister is facing a tough fight to retain his leadership of the Labor party in the primary elections scheduled for May. “He wants left-wing support“ said Tal.
Decision May Affect Jordan as Well
Jordan’s Hashemite King Abdullah II may have his own feelings on the matter.
The Jordanian monarch expressed adamant opposition two months ago to any peace deal between Israel and the Palestinian Authority that would cause an influx of Palestinian Arabs into the Hashemite kingdom.
The king said during a speech to the Jordanian parliament in November that the Israel-PA conflict is the “core issue” in the Middle East – but added that he would not accept settlement that would include PA residents moving to Jordan.
“Abdullah would much rather see a Jewish settlement on his border,” asserted the Jordan Valley Regional Council head. “A hundred percent, he does not want to have to deal with the Palestinian Authority on the Jordanian border.”
U.S. Overpowers Israeli Government Approval
The day after Peretz announced his intention to go through with the project, the U.S. State Department registered its objections to the plan, saying it violated the terms of the Road Map plan.
U.S. State Department spokesman Gonzo Gallegos told reporters that Israel should “meet its Road Map obligations and avoid taking steps that could be viewed as predetermining the outcome of final status negotiations.”
Olmert spokeswoman Miri Eisen immediately responded to the complaint, saying the new houses do not violate the Road Map plan as it calls only for a halt to new communities in Judea and Samaria. The American-sponsored plan does not refer to existing communities nor to those that had already been approved.
But within days after Gallegos’ statement, sources in the Defense Ministry were warning that Peretz was 'reconsidering' his final approval despite Olmert’s clear public support for the plan.
One week later, according to a government source, Peretz did indeed officially notify the Council that he was freezing the development of Maskiot "in order to re-evaluate the plan."
As to what will now happen to the residents of Shirat HaYam, the Defense Ministry source had "no comment."
Israeli Promises to the PA Rate Higher
Meanwhile, Israel opened a new passage for goods produced by the area’s Palestinian Authority farmers on January 10th despite opposition from Jewish residents in the area who were concerned with its effect on security and tourism.
The new Bezek crossing came as part of goodwill gestures promised by the prime minister to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas during their summit on December 23rd – three days before the final approval for the Maskiot community was announced.
The newly-built passage in the Jordan Valley allows direct transportation of agricultural produce from Jericho and elsewhere in the Jordan Valley to northern Israel.
Previously, trucks had to make a detour through Jenin and were unable to use Highway 90, a central traffic artery running from Eilat to Metulla through the Jordan Valley.
Jewish residents pointed out that Highway 90 is a national road. “We as heads of the local authorities that are the main users of the road…ask and demand that you not operate the terminal,” they wrote in a letter sent to Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh.
“Differentiating between the Jordan Valley and other areas of Judea and Samaria, and limiting Palestinian traffic gives more security to the residents of the Jordan Valley and those passing through it. The opening of the crossing will increase the number of Palestinians in the area and raise the danger level….the operation of the terminal will increase this feeling and will prevent innocent travelers and foreign tourism, which is so needed in our regions, from passing through it. The residents of our regions make their living from this tourism, and such severe harm to it is unacceptable,” they objected.
Meanwhile, the new crossing raises the standard of living of Arab farmers in the area, who grow mostly tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, dates and spices, by lowering transportation costs and increasing their profits.
Further Jewish development in the region has now been halted with Peretz’s decision to freeze Maskiot.
The Next Step
The Jordan Valley Regional Council is now faced with two options, said Tal.
“First, we are considering filing a petition with the High Court of Justice to freeze the defense minister’s decision to freeze the construction.”
He noted that it was essential that all opposition to the decision be carried out in a legal manner. “We are a legal body,” he said, “and we cannot act in a manner that contravenes the law.”
That doesn’t mean that residents of the Jordan Valley will remain silent, he added, noting that the area’s communities would act together as “one hand” to fight the freeze.
“Residents here are talking about organizing protests against Peretz’s decision,” he said. “There are advantages and disadvantages to such a move and we need to consider all our options before taking the next step.”
“Minister Peretz has decided to freeze all building in Maskiot until further notice,” said Bachar. He did not say why, nor did he say when or if that decision might change.
A group of Jews forcibly evicted from their seaside homes have been waiting to move into new homes and rebuild their community in Maskiot for more than a year and a half.
The site, established in 1981 as an IDF base, was built with the specific intention of eventually becoming a town for civilians. At present, a handful of families already live in permanent homes in Maskiot, as well as 50 students who attend a pre-military academy there.
In an exclusive interview with Arutz-7, Tal said the Regional Council immediately appealed to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to overturn Peretz’s decision.
“We requested that the Prime Minister intervene in this matter,” he said. Olmert was set to make an official announcement on the start of construction at the site next week, according to a report by Channel 2 TV news.
“We hope the prime minister will keep his word,” Tal told Arutz-7 Friday morning. “Peretz did not honor his own promise,” he added.
Government sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, claimed that Peretz had notified the Council two weeks ago of the freeze, saying he wanted to "re-evaluate the project."
The quiet notice came despite a public statement by Peretz on December 26th that he had given the final go-ahead for the project after a 14-month process in which the plans advanced through six different phases of approval.
Tal said he believed the decision to nix the community was connected with the upcoming Labor party primary elections scheduled to be held in May.
“It is a very significant statement that the Minister of Defense is freezing approvals that were already given,” he commented. “It is a statement about the value of settlement in general,” said Tal.
“Peretz must be against settlement in the Jordan Valley,” he added, pointing out that the embattled defense minister is facing a tough fight to retain his leadership of the Labor party in the primary elections scheduled for May. “He wants left-wing support“ said Tal.
Decision May Affect Jordan as Well
Jordan’s Hashemite King Abdullah II may have his own feelings on the matter.
The Jordanian monarch expressed adamant opposition two months ago to any peace deal between Israel and the Palestinian Authority that would cause an influx of Palestinian Arabs into the Hashemite kingdom.
The king said during a speech to the Jordanian parliament in November that the Israel-PA conflict is the “core issue” in the Middle East – but added that he would not accept settlement that would include PA residents moving to Jordan.
“Abdullah would much rather see a Jewish settlement on his border,” asserted the Jordan Valley Regional Council head. “A hundred percent, he does not want to have to deal with the Palestinian Authority on the Jordanian border.”
U.S. Overpowers Israeli Government Approval
The day after Peretz announced his intention to go through with the project, the U.S. State Department registered its objections to the plan, saying it violated the terms of the Road Map plan.
U.S. State Department spokesman Gonzo Gallegos told reporters that Israel should “meet its Road Map obligations and avoid taking steps that could be viewed as predetermining the outcome of final status negotiations.”
Olmert spokeswoman Miri Eisen immediately responded to the complaint, saying the new houses do not violate the Road Map plan as it calls only for a halt to new communities in Judea and Samaria. The American-sponsored plan does not refer to existing communities nor to those that had already been approved.
But within days after Gallegos’ statement, sources in the Defense Ministry were warning that Peretz was 'reconsidering' his final approval despite Olmert’s clear public support for the plan.
One week later, according to a government source, Peretz did indeed officially notify the Council that he was freezing the development of Maskiot "in order to re-evaluate the plan."
As to what will now happen to the residents of Shirat HaYam, the Defense Ministry source had "no comment."
Israeli Promises to the PA Rate Higher
Meanwhile, Israel opened a new passage for goods produced by the area’s Palestinian Authority farmers on January 10th despite opposition from Jewish residents in the area who were concerned with its effect on security and tourism.
The new Bezek crossing came as part of goodwill gestures promised by the prime minister to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas during their summit on December 23rd – three days before the final approval for the Maskiot community was announced.
The newly-built passage in the Jordan Valley allows direct transportation of agricultural produce from Jericho and elsewhere in the Jordan Valley to northern Israel.
Previously, trucks had to make a detour through Jenin and were unable to use Highway 90, a central traffic artery running from Eilat to Metulla through the Jordan Valley.
Jewish residents pointed out that Highway 90 is a national road. “We as heads of the local authorities that are the main users of the road…ask and demand that you not operate the terminal,” they wrote in a letter sent to Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh.
“Differentiating between the Jordan Valley and other areas of Judea and Samaria, and limiting Palestinian traffic gives more security to the residents of the Jordan Valley and those passing through it. The opening of the crossing will increase the number of Palestinians in the area and raise the danger level….the operation of the terminal will increase this feeling and will prevent innocent travelers and foreign tourism, which is so needed in our regions, from passing through it. The residents of our regions make their living from this tourism, and such severe harm to it is unacceptable,” they objected.
Meanwhile, the new crossing raises the standard of living of Arab farmers in the area, who grow mostly tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, dates and spices, by lowering transportation costs and increasing their profits.
Further Jewish development in the region has now been halted with Peretz’s decision to freeze Maskiot.
The Next Step
The Jordan Valley Regional Council is now faced with two options, said Tal.
“First, we are considering filing a petition with the High Court of Justice to freeze the defense minister’s decision to freeze the construction.”
He noted that it was essential that all opposition to the decision be carried out in a legal manner. “We are a legal body,” he said, “and we cannot act in a manner that contravenes the law.”
That doesn’t mean that residents of the Jordan Valley will remain silent, he added, noting that the area’s communities would act together as “one hand” to fight the freeze.
“Residents here are talking about organizing protests against Peretz’s decision,” he said. “There are advantages and disadvantages to such a move and we need to consider all our options before taking the next step.”