Jerusalem municipal officials on Monday froze plans to build a large Jewish neighborhood at an abandoned airport in East Jerusalem, a monitoring group announced.
The decision to halt the Atarot neighborhood plan came in the wake of heavy U.S. opposition to the project — considered especially damaging to the peace process due to its magnitude and intended location in the heart of a Palestinian population center.
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Israeli heavy machinery working on the Atarot neighborhood in East Jerusalem
(Photo: AFP)
The controversial project called for the building of no less than 9,000 housing units marketed to ultra-Orthodox Jews in an open area next to three densely populated Palestinian communities, one of which is behind Israel's controversial separation barrier.
Hagit Ofran of the Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now said Monday that the Jerusalem district planning committee that was to approve the plan instead decided to put it on hold, saying an environmental survey should first be conducted.
"Let's hope they will use the time to understand how illogical this plan is for the development of Jerusalem and how much it damages the chances for peace," said Ofran, who attended the meeting.
There was no immediate comment from city officials. But earlier Monday, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid indicated the government is in no hurry to give final approval to the plan.
Speaking to reporters, Lapid said the plan requires approval by the national government and needs "full consensus" of the various parties in the coalition.
"This will be dealt with on the national level and we know how to deal with it. It is a process and will make sure it doesn't turn into a conflict with the administration," he said.