The Binyamin Regional Council has launched a new initiative aimed at bringing 1,000 new families to communities in its jurisdiction. Some 120 new immigrant families have so far committed to making their homes in Binyamin, which is located just north of Jerusalem. Included in this number are new immigrants from France and Argentina who will be arriving in Israel in the coming weeks. Council spokesman Elazar Sela, speaking with Arutz-7 today, noted that many of the expected new arrivals are second- or third-generation Yesha residents who wish to live in the new outposts. He expressed the hope that families from other parts of Israel will also consider moving to Binyamin. The campaign will kick off tonight in the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Jerusalem with the participation of the Absorption Directors of all the Binyamin Region communities.
The campaign has brought left-wing elements to their feet, demanding that no additional settlements or outposts be established. Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, whose responsibility it is to approve or withhold approval for residential projects in Judea and Samaria, said today that he would not approve any new outposts.
Binyamin Regional Council head Pinchas Wallerstein said in response that there are no plans to start illegal outposts, and that there is no such thing as an illegal community or outpost: \"Every outpost has a permit from the Defense Ministry or relevant bodies.\" The Yesha Council, too, says that all existing outposts received Defense Ministry approval. Israel Radio reported that all the outposts evacuated under the terms of the famous Outposts Agreement with then-Prime Minister Ehud Barak in late 1999 are now back on the ground - except for Maon, south of Hevron. Wallerstein did not deny this, but emphasized that they are all legal. He said that the current project does not involve new outposts, but rather a \"thickening\" of the existing ones.
Asked about left-wing criticism of the new settlement campaign, Gideon Abramovitch - responsible for new arrivals in the western Binyamin community of N\'vei Tzuf - told Arutz-7 today, \"We concentrate on doing and on providing an \'appropriate Zionist response.\' We will continue bringing in new families and making room for others.\"
The campaign has brought left-wing elements to their feet, demanding that no additional settlements or outposts be established. Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, whose responsibility it is to approve or withhold approval for residential projects in Judea and Samaria, said today that he would not approve any new outposts.
Binyamin Regional Council head Pinchas Wallerstein said in response that there are no plans to start illegal outposts, and that there is no such thing as an illegal community or outpost: \"Every outpost has a permit from the Defense Ministry or relevant bodies.\" The Yesha Council, too, says that all existing outposts received Defense Ministry approval. Israel Radio reported that all the outposts evacuated under the terms of the famous Outposts Agreement with then-Prime Minister Ehud Barak in late 1999 are now back on the ground - except for Maon, south of Hevron. Wallerstein did not deny this, but emphasized that they are all legal. He said that the current project does not involve new outposts, but rather a \"thickening\" of the existing ones.
Asked about left-wing criticism of the new settlement campaign, Gideon Abramovitch - responsible for new arrivals in the western Binyamin community of N\'vei Tzuf - told Arutz-7 today, \"We concentrate on doing and on providing an \'appropriate Zionist response.\' We will continue bringing in new families and making room for others.\"