Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told residents of the former Jewish community of Amona that he hasn’t forgotten his vow to build them a new town.
Netanyahu spoke with the residents while they were protesting in Givat Olga on Wednesday night outside government coalition celebration event.
The prime minister told the residents — who remain homeless since their town was demolished in the first week of February — that he understands their situation.
“I understand your plight. I made a promise and I will keep it,” the prime minister insisted.
The residents were protesting the government’s failure to fulfill the prime minister’s pledge to end their homelessness by building the new community he had promised after demolishing their town.
The demolition came in accordance with the Supreme Court order handed down in favor of a private Palestinian Authority citizen who was alleged to own the land on which the town was built.
Despite his vow to quickly rebuild the town elsewhere, and having even identified and approved a site for the new community, Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman have not yet allowed construction to move ahead. The reason may be due at least in part to a request from U.S. President Donald Trump during the prime minister’s recent visit to Washington to “hold back” on settlement building “for a while.”