Gaza ‘out,’ West Bank ‘in’

TEL AVIV - The government is planning a construction boom in West Bank settlements that includes authorizing existing illegal outposts, Yediot Ahronot reported Friday. Under the scheme, 120 unauthorized West Bank outposts, which the United States wants to see dismantled, would be retroactively approved, the newspaper said. The Israel Land Authority, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, is planning to build hundreds, and in some cases thousands of new residential units in several West Bank communities. The town of Maaleh Adumim is at the top of the list and is expected to see 2,100 units built this year. Other communities that are slated to benefit from the plan include Modi’in Ilit, Beitar Ilit, and Givat Ze’ev. However, Housing and Construction Minister Yitzhak Herzog says he is surprised by reports about the government’s intention to expand settlements and authorize illegal outposts in the West Bank. “I have no intention to authorize illegal outposts in my ministry,” he said. “Such move is not possible under coalition agreements…and there is a pledge to the U.S. on the matter.” 223,000 settlers live in West Bank Overall, the government plans to build close to 5,000 new residential units in the West Bank, with another 1,500 units subject to the eviction of a Bedouin tribe from land earmarked for construction. The plan indicates the marketing of the new homes has been approved by the Defense Minister and by the head of the Civil Administration in the West Bank. In addition, the Land Authority is seeking to map land purchased by Jews in the West Bank before Israel’s establishment in 1948, in a bid to secure land rights in future negotiations. According to Authority data, there are currently 123 settlements in the West Bank. The communities are home to 223,000 residents, with the figure increasing by three percent every year. Plan slammed The Sharon government’s plan to leave Gaza but reinforce its hold on the West Bank has been exposed, says Yachad Chairman Yossi Beilin in response to the reports. “The Labor party’s presence in the government provides a ‘kosher’ certificate for the Likud leaders’ delusional plan,” he said. The Sharon government suffers from schizophrenia, Peace Now Secretary General Yariv Oppenheimer told Ynet in response to the report. “I wonder what Sharon will tell the new settlers when the government decided to remove them too in a few years,” he said. Yesha Council officials, meanwhile, said they wish the reports were true. “All construction plans in all communities have been frozen for many months now,” the Council said.

Gaza ‘out,’ West Bank ‘in’

Government plans to build thousands of new homes in West Bank settlements, retroactively approve 120 illegal outposts, Yediot Ahronot reports