Rawabi, planned to be the first Arab-built city in the Holy Land in centuries, continues to threaten nearby Israeli communities.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak has reportedly decided on yet another blow against the Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria, namely, the confiscation of Jewish land for the purpose of building a highway to the planned city. The land in question was long designated for Jewish communities in the area.
“This is a very grave issue,” said Danny Dayan, head of the Yesha Council of Jewish Communities in Judea and Samaria. “I say categorically: We will thwart this.”
“We have long known of plans to take some of Area C – land that is under total Israeli control – and use it for a highway to Rawabi,” Dayan said. “This would mean changing the status of the land to Area B [under PA civilian control] or even A [under PA military control]. We have been working to thwart this, with members of the Knesset Land of Israel Lobby and the Yesha Council, meeting with Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz and others. But if this new report is true, involving the taking of lands from Jewish towns, this is even worse, and we will make sure that it does not happen.”
Arab Growth and Jewish Freeze
Speaking with Arutz-7’s Hebrew newsmagazine, Dayan said that the contrast of Arab growth on the backdrop of the freeze on Jewish construction is intolerable: “It is inconceivable that our communities will be harmed in order to build their city. I understand that Arabs who live here need space, but they currently build giant, luxurious houses, while at the same time Jewish construction is totally frozen by government order.”
The city is being built nine kilometers from Ramallah, just across the valley from the Jewish town of Ateret. Preliminary construction work is taking place at a frenzied pace – “day and night, seven days a week,” say Ateret residents. They say they have received no answers regarding the new city’s trash and sewage, transportation, and security. “Arab sewage is already flowing uncontrolled in nearby Haramiye,” one Ateret man said, “so I want to know how an entire city will be dealt with."
The city is planned for 25,000 residents at first, with room for an additional 15,000 in a later stage. Ateret is located just to its south, west of the Beit El-Shilo (Jerusalem-Ariel) highway.
Dayan said he visited Ateret last week to view the situation from up close and plan strategy with local leaders.
Asked what gives him the confidence to say that he will thwart the latest decision, Dayan said, “We have political tools; there is a Land of Israel lobby with 41 Knesset Members - not including Cabinet ministers – and this is not a small group. And if they are unsuccessful, then we will work in other ways.”
Arutz-7’s Shimon Cohen asked, “Perhaps this whole issue is just a distraction from the other major problems caused by this city, such as sewage, the dangers on the roads, ecology, etc.?” Dayan did not disagree: “Perhaps it is, but first we’ll get rid of this problem and then we’ll deal with the rest."