Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., July 15, 2008 Tamuz 12, 5768 | | Israel Time: 02:10 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Peres Conference Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

PMO revives Safdie plan for Jerusalem By Zafrir Rinat Two years after the planning authorities rejected the construction plan for West Jerusalem known as the Safdie plan, the Prime Minister's Office has begun to resurrect it. Two weeks ago, the PMO director general, Ra'anan Dinur, asked the Jerusalem municipal engineer to move ahead on the plan. Apparently the U.S. is pressuring Israel not to build in neighborhoods that were built and annexed to the capital after the Six-Day War, such as Pisgat Zeev north of Jerusalem and Gilo in the south. Advertisement In a letter to the engineer, Shlomo Eshkol, Dinur said that to strengthen Jerusalem, the cabinet voted to build at least 3,000 housing units a year by 2020. Dinur also said that according to municipal figures given to the Interior Ministry, space set aside for housing construction is enough for only one-third of this number of homes. Dinur therefore asked Eshkol to "do everything possible to promote a construction plan for West Jerusalem, including Lavan Ridge." The latter area, near moshavs Ora and Aminadav is one of two focuses of the Safdie plan, named after architect Moshe Safdie. The municipality declined to comment on Dinur's letter but noted that Mayor Uri Lupolianski is opposed to the Safdie plan. Lupolianski's opposition carried decisive weight in the decision of the National Planning and Building Council to veto the plan. The Safdie plan was to increase available housing in the capital, to lower housing prices and stop negative migration from the city. The plan extends across Mount Harat near the communities of Beit Zayit and Mevasseret Zion west of the capital, as well as the Lavan Ridge. Environmental organizations under the umbrella of a group called the Sustainable Jerusalem Coalition fought hard against the plan, arguing that it would seriously reduce the open spaces around Jerusalem and would weaken the center of the city by keeping the better-off population in the new, outlying neighborhoods. The environmental groups prepared documents to show there was enough other land available elsewhere in Jerusalem on which to build. However, a large amount of the available land located by the environmental groups are in neighborhoods in which the U.S. is pressuring Israel not to build. The Jerusalem District Planning and Building Committee this month gave preliminary approval to two construction plans that were made available to the public for comment. They call for the construction of 1,800 housing units in Har Homa 3 south of the capital and additions to Givat Zeev, northwest of Jerusalem. Bookmark to del.icio.us   History undersea Israeli lifeguard stumbles upon ancient relic during morning swim. Elections, Hebrew style U.S. presidential hopefuls use Hebrew to woo the Jewish community.

Read & React Obama: I used 'poor phrasing' in undivided Jerusalem remark Responses: 237 Syria sources to Haaretz: We'll grant no goodwill gestures to weak Olmert Responses: 51 Syria's Assad: Israel will pay a direct price for attacking Iran Responses: 75 Was building city of Modi'in a mistake? Responses: 44 More Headlines 22:49 Olmert: Hezbollah report on fate of Ron Arad is 'absolutely unsatisfactory' 01:39 Ahmadinejad: direct talks with U.S. possible in 'near future' 17:42 Barak: UN resolution on Lebanon war is a failure 00:57 Controversial New Yorker cover depicts Obama as Muslim, wife as armed terrorist 22:29 VIDEO: How Olmert and Assad dodged an unwanted Paris handshake 19:44 Noam Shalit: Don't free Palestinians while my son still held in Gaza 01:23 Israeli teams tell Diaspora Jews: Make aliyah, for soccer's sake! 23:19 Despite no confidence vote, Olmert won't dismiss Labor ministers 20:03 Hamas spokesman says Tony Blair to visit Gaza this week 14:08 Iran decries contacts between Syria and 'illegitimate' Israel 23:09 Asbestos-linked cancer 10 times more prevalent in Nahariya 17:43 New film tells tale of Palestinian killed in error by IDF who went on to save Israeli lives 21:19 American women pack up their lives, move to Israel for love Previous Editions Select Day 14 jul 13 jul 11 jul 10 jul 09 jul 08 jul 07 jul 06 jul 04 jul 03 jul 02 jul 01 jul

Special Offers Advertisement Fattal Hotel Chain Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel. Israel's Premier Real Estate Website www. israel-property.com Dan Hotels Israel Live the Legend & experience an Unforgettable Summer Vacation Yossi Avrahami Presents: New Luxurious Projects in North Tel Aviv & Eilat Holyland Park Jerusalem Apartment Tower World Class Luxury Right In the heart of Tel-Aviv The Meier on Rothschild tower Your vacation starts here Israel Travel Center Guaranteed Lowest Rates Hebrew Summer courses From $39.95 ISRAEL BONDS Build Israel Israel bonds - a multi-purpose way to celebrate Israel's 60th Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations Junkyard Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |

Real Estate in Israel | Travel to Israel with Haaretz | Hotels Israel | Restaurants Israel | Tourist attractions Israel | Shops Israel

birthright Israel | Search engine marketing

Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.

© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved