Olmert: No east Jerusalem construction

Deputy prime minister: Massive construction in west Jerusalem solution for capital’s future, the likelihood of serious development effort in east Jerusalem in near future slim
Ido Efrati

Talking about construction in east Jerusalem in a way that is detached from international, national and regional contexts is akin to using empty slogans not backed by any practical plan, Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said during a Jerusalem district committee meeting.

 

The session took place about two months ago and Ynet has now been able to learn of its details.

 

During the meeting, Olmert said: “If I need to practically estimate the chances that in the coming years we’ll be able to undertaken a serious development effort in east Jerusalem, in my opinion the likelihood is close to zero…those things have to be clear, it’s not easy to say them…but I think we owe it to ourselves to at least say the things as they are.”

 

‘Tremendous efforts needed’

 

The session mostly focused on a plan for massive construction in most of the west Jerusalem areas annexed to the capital in 1992. Olmert, who has been promoting the plan in recent years, arrived at the meeting, which dealt with some of the no less than 16,000 objections submitted to the plan.

 

According to Olmert, massive construction in the western part of the capital is the only solution that would ensure a bright future for Jerusalem.

 

“If tremendous efforts are not undertaken to develop and expand Jerusalem, in my view our chance of safeguarding it as the State of Israel’s capital will face a question mark,” he said.

 

Olmert’s office declined to respond to the report.