Last update - 00:00 23/03/2008
Defense Minister likely to approve 80 housing units in settlement
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent
Defense Minister Ehud Barak is expected to approve construction of 80 housing units in the settlement of Elazar in the northern Etzion Bloc.
The Derech Ha'avot outpost, which has approximately 10 permanent houses and a few dozen mobile homes, is located near Elazar, west of the Jerusalem-Hebron highway (road 60).
Derech Ha'avot was established in 2001 on private Palestinian land.
The new neighborhood, which has already received the approval of the Civil Administration in the West Bank, is slated to be built between Elazar and the outpost, and will serve as a link between the two.
The new neighborhood will consist of private homes, which are expected to be sold quickly due to a high demand for housing in the Etzion Bloc.
The neighborhood is included in Elazar's master plan and the land is not owned by Palestinians.
Earlier this month, the planning and construction committees approved the rezoning of the land from agricultural and industrial to residential, and the project now awaits Barak's approval.
Barak's bureau said he had not yet received a request for approval, however he knew it was in the works.
Since Barak supports construction in the large settlement blocs in the West Bank, it is likely he will approve the request.
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