Last week I quoted a Reshet Bet Radio report citing senior coalition officials who said an announcement was expected this week regarding a meeting of the Supreme Planning Council (SPC) to approve thousands of new homes for marketing and construction in several localities, as well as a meeting of the Civil Administration, under Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s jurisdiction, to discuss final objections to a construction plan in area E1 near Maale Adumim (Thousands of New Homes in Liberated Territories, Including E1, Despite US Objection). The move followed the coalition agreements requiring such approvals to be issued once every quarter.
Well, it’s not happening, at least not the part about construction in E1. Late last week, Walla reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to postpone the planned discussion of the Civil Administration next Monday. It appears that when Netanyahu updated the administration on the plan, their response was a resounding No, which, combined with European pressure over the past week, persuaded the PM.
My article explained why it’s crucial to start building in E1 – it’s located at the narrowest part of Judea and Samaria, so that if it is built up by the PA it would guarantee a future, contiguous Palestinian State, and if it becomes part of an urban sprawl between Maale Adumim and Jerusalem, it guarantees the opposite.
We don’t know yet whether Netanyahu has also pushed off the SPC meeting on housing starts in eastern Jerusalem.
