As Israel's housing crisis comes to a head in the press, a group of resevists, second and third generation residents of Judea and Samaria, have written Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu demanding a solution to the region's housing shortage, which they term "the quiet freeze."
The letter states, "we are reserve soldiers and officers, members of the second and third generation born in Judea and Samaria, and we plan to build our homes near our parents in the communities that reared us. We protest your government's construction policy in Judea and Samaria.
"Although the freeze officially ended long ago, the truth is the ground is still frozen," they say, noting the dirth of construction permits issued. "Young couples cannot rent or buy apartments in the settlements and cities of Judea and Samaria."
Signatories to the letter noted, "unfortunately, though we have cried out for many years, the government does see fit to promote construction for young couples in Judea and Samaria. Couples who marry, and new families who wish to reside in the settlements, find housing prices have risen dramatically and there is a lack of permanent dwellings.
"If the Israeli government is committed to general strategic planning, then housing matters, too," the reservists say. "It seems, at least in terms of housing in Judea and Samaria, the government has abandoned its young citizens.
"These days, with public uproar over housing costs, we seek to be heard," the soldiers wrote. "As citizens who work and live in the settlements, we expect your government will work to correct the wrongs we experience in the frozen quiet of Judea and Samaria."