Modiin Illit (archives)
Photo: AP
Settlement freeze 'ends' for Modiin Illit
Construction company whose damages claim over suspended project was rejected resumes planned building outside Green Line despite lack of conclusive government decision on settlement activity. 'This was a business decision,' says CEO
Washington may be pressing the issue and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to have the final word on the settlement freeze, but the Neot Hapisga construction company does not seem to care, as it resumed its project in the town of Modiin Illit Tuesday – exactly where it was left off nearly a year ago.
Modiin Illit is a designated haredi city, located beyond the Green Line. Construction on the project was suspended when the government agreed to a settlement freeze in late 2009.
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"This was a business decision, not an ideological one. We are law-abiding people. We plan to build according to the legal building permits we were given by state zoning administrations. We have millions invested here.
"We accepted the government's decision to halt settlement construction. We suspended the project, fired everyone. The government is responsible for compensating all the people and bodies harmed by its decision," he said.
Zaken's company was the first to file a damages claim with the State's Claims Committee, for damages suffered due to the settlement freeze. The NIS 171 million ($45.4 million) claim was rejected on Monday, and the company decided not to pursue further legal options at this time.
In stead, Neot Hapisga – assuming the settlement freeze's end is pending – simply resumed construction.
Modiin Illit's project outline includes the construction of 2,300 housing units, on land purchased by the company in 2006. So far, only 500 units were built.
October will see a meeting of Jerusalem's sub-committee for appeals on the city's Zoning Committee decisions, with aim of approving 1,362 new housing units in the south-Jerusalem neighborhood of Givat HaMatos. The planned project is meant to take shape in an area outside the Green Line.
Ir Amim (“City of Nations”), an Israeli non-profit organization dedicated that focuses on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Jerusalem, said that "unfortunately, east Jerusalem is once again used in provocative and irresponsible moves, especially at this sensitive time.
"Going forward with these plans at this time, parallel to the peace talks, is irresponsible and may have rueful ramifications."
Ronen Medzini contributed to this report
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