Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fulfilled a promise he made to residents of Beit El five years ago to build 300 housing units to replace buildings demolished in the Ulpana neighborhood.
Those families were forced from their homes because the High Court of Justice ruled their houses were built on private land belonging to the Palestinian Authority.
To this point, the homes have yet to be replaced and there has been one struggle after another to pressure for the government to keep its word.
Finally this week Beit El Council head Shai Alon set up a protest tent near the Knesset to underline the seriousness of the community’s disappointment with the prime minister, vowing to stay there until the promise was fulfilled and new homes were actually on the market.
On Thursday, following a meeting between Alon and Netanyahu, the Prime Minister’s Office released a statement saying the housing units would be approved for the next stage in September. On Monday Netanyahu said at a Likud faction meeting, “It won’t take 10 years and it won’t take a year either. I will write in my memoirs what caused these delays,” he said.
Nevertheless, it is still not clear exactly when the project will be brought to completion, and no end date was set by the prime minister.