Olmert bevriest alle nieuwbouw in nederzettingen Westelijke Jordaanoever

Het lijkt erop dat er eindelijk een duidelijk besluit is genomen: geen nieuwe huizen in de nederzettingen. Een goed begin. En nu nog de buitenposten ontmantelen.

 

 

Ratna

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PM completely freezes new construction in W. Bank settlements
By Nadav Shragai, Haaretz Correspondent  last update - 18:51 24/01/2008
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/947916.html

Israel has completely frozen all new construction in West Bank settlements, despite recent comments by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that Israel would treat construction in the major settlement blocs differently from building in most settlements.

Olmert has categorically denied approval for all new construction tenders, including in the so-called consensus settlement blocs, which Israel intends to keep in any future peace accord with the Palestinians.

The freeze also applies to the construction of public institutions, including schools and kindergartens.

Olmert recently sent an official letter to relevant cabinet ministers instructing them to refrain from authorizing any construction in the West Bank without his and Defense Minister Ehud Barak's prior approval.

Several days ago, the prime minister met with Ma'aleh Adumim Mayor Benny Kashriel, who asked Olmert to approve several construction plans -including in the controversial E1 corridor linking Ma'aleh Adumim to Jerusalem.

Olmert refused, saying the issue was sensitive in terms of relations with the United States and the Palestinian Authority.

Kashriel also asked Olmert to approve tenders for the completion of the settlement's 07 neighborhood. Barak approved the construction during his term as prime minister, and the new neighborhood was to have a total of 3,500 housing units - 2,000 of which have been built and sold, and another 1,100 of which are currently under construction. Most of the units that are under construction have also been sold.

The Housing Ministry was to issue tenders for the remaining 400 homes, but Kashriel says Olmert refused to approve the request.

Kashriel also asked Olmert to authorize the construction of schools and kindergartens in the 07 neighborhood, but said this request was also denied.

"I told the prime minister that I need another school and more kindergartens, by September, otherwise I'll bring the children to his office and they can study there," said Kashriel.

Mayors and council chairmen in other consensus settlements have also reported a total freeze on construction in recent weeks, including Efrat in the Etzion bloc south of Jerusalem, as well as Ariel in the northern West Bank.

Olmert has in the past defined those settlements as part of the consensus blocs, but is currently refusing to approve the construction of new housing units - including within the settlements' current urban boundaries.

The prime minister has denied authorizations for the construction of schools and kindergartens in these settlements as well.

According to information made public several days ago, Barak had ordered settlement construction frozen beyond the parameters set forward by Olmert. Among other things, the defense minister said his approval is even needed for the private purchase of a home that has already been built.

Barak's order came against the backdrop of a bitter legal battle over settlers' purchase of the disputed "Peace House" in the divided West Bank city of Hebron.

Yesha: No Israeli government has ever been so anti-settlements

Yesha Council of Settlements Chiarman Danny Dayan said no Israeli government has ever taken such a hard-line stance against the settlement enterprise as the Olmert and Barak government.

Dayan confirmed that the freeze has applied to the consensus blocs, which former prime minister Ariel Sharon said the U.S. had recognized.

During an Ariel city council emergency held recently, Mayor Ron Nahman declared "an open war by the town of Ariel and its residents against the government of Israel and its head, Ehud Olmert."

Nahman called Olmert's cabinet a destructive government that has "trampled civil rights in the State of Israel."

Nahman said he will lead protests that will shut down Tel Aviv, if necessary. Some 18,000 people reside within the jurisdiction of the Ariel Regional Council, which formed a headquarters to lead the struggle against the settlement freeze.

A joint forum of all West Bank local authority heads met for the first time several days ago, and also decided to launch a campaign against what they called "the While Paper policy of the Israeli government against its citizens," in reference to the British document that severely limited Jewish immigration to mandate-era Palestine.