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Interior Minister Eli Yishai.
 Tess Scheflan
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Last update - 14:04 08/06/2009
Israel ministry wages settlement war against U.S.
By Mazal Mualem, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Shas, Israel News 

Interior Minister Eli Yishai has begun to make good on a pledge to exploit all the resources of his ministry, "its branches and its influences over local government" to expand settlements in the territories.

Yishai, who is also chairman of Shas, made the promise last Thursday to the heads of the Yesha Council of settlements. His party is concerned by the freeze on construction that has been in effect since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took office, which Yishai said is "drying out" the settlements.

Haaretz has learned that Yishai has instructed officials at the Interior Ministry to come up with ways to help the settlers, by allowing continued construction within the major West Bank settlement blocs where building has stopped as a result of American pressure.
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Yishai wants to include additional built-up areas within the city limits of towns in the major settlement blocs, effectively expanding those cities' boundaries. Adjustment of the city limits, which is within the purview of the Interior Ministry, can mean the addition of several square kilometers to a locale's jurisdiction - or the subtraction of said amount of land.

Yishai thus plans to ensure that city limits will be calculated in as liberal a way as possible, so that construction can eventually take place in the few additional square kilometers, to accommodate the "natural increase" of the population.

In addition, Yishai is hoping to allocate funding from the "interior minister's reserves" to benefit settlements in the West Bank. These funds, amounting to several tens of millions of shekels, are distributed at the discretion of the minister without having to meet certain usual criteria.

The heads of the Yesha Council said they had the impression from their meeting with Yishai that the minister intended to allocate funding to the settlements from the ministerial reserves to "correct the existing distortion."

Yishai also plans to change the law mandating special funding for outlying communities, which at present discriminates against the West Bank settlements, in his view. He said he wants to ensure that the law will help the peripheral areas, but will also be altered so as not to be biased.

Settlement discrimination

"Settlements in Judea and Samaria have suffered for many years from various forms of discrimination and distortion. I do not intend to examine the reason or figure out who was responsible for this. I intend to correct the situation. I believe that we do not have to be on a collision course with the Americans," said Yishai. "There were understandings with previous administrations in the United States that allowed us to build in keeping with the natural increase and certainly within the limits of the settlements."

He added that, "any steps the United States intends to take in the Middle East will have to be equitable. It is not right to start to enforce the issue of construction and not to make it equitable."

Yishai was careful not to criticize Netanyahu directly. Rather, he aimed his barbs at the U.S. administration while promoting an independent ministerial policy that benefits West Bank settlement.

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      1.   Shas guy spits in Obamas face. Dares Obama to take action 04:20  |  Natallie Durson 08/06/09
      2.   wow 04:21  |  guy 08/06/09
      3.   dont expect to be bailed out by AIPAC 04:23  |  Paul Freedman 08/06/09
      4.   Wishful Thinking 04:32  |  Ed 08/06/09
      5.   Easy way and Hard way 04:53  |  Iain 08/06/09
      6.   Occupation Is A Military Term 04:54  |  crlman 08/06/09
      7.   Keep Building Settlements! 04:56  |  Heather Czerniak 08/06/09
      8.   This is futile 05:04  |  Sam Bax 08/06/09
      9.   Wouldn`t It Be More Intelligent At This Point... 05:06  |  Yosemite 08/06/09
      10.   Oh come on 05:22  |  Radu Z 08/06/09
      11.   Short Term Vision Cripples Israel`s Best Interests 05:28  |  Robert 08/06/09
      12.   Mullah Yishai has spoken 05:29  |  Giora Me`ir 08/06/09
      13.   Israel is biting the hand that feeds it 05:37  |  BIG 08/06/09
      14.   What about Palestinian "Natural Growth?" 05:39  |  Robert 08/06/09
      15.   Natalie...Shas is the best 05:56  |  George 08/06/09
      16.   Natallie #1 06:04  |  Bazmann 08/06/09
      17.   Don`t underestimate President Obama 06:07  |  Bob 08/06/09
      18.   state of judea? 06:18  |  david 08/06/09
      19.   clowns with chutspa 06:30  |  d 08/06/09
      20.   Road Map Dead, Annapolis Invalid, No Arab Reciprocity, 06:38  |  Joseph.E 08/06/09
      21.   U.S. ignore illegal arab constructions 06:44  |  Joseph.E 08/06/09
      22.   Judea And Samaria: An Internal Israeli Issue 06:59  |  Yishai Kohen 08/06/09
      23.   can one single minister 07:03  |  rm 08/06/09
      24.   Yishai`s real agenda 07:08  |  Bev 08/06/09
      25.   Yishai`s real agenda 07:11  |  Bev 08/06/09
      26.   Israeli ministry must ressettle Homesh with Gaza evacuees 07:15  |  Joseph.E 08/06/09
      27.   #1 - Natallie Durson 07:16  |  MichaelF 08/06/09
      28.   A compromise is in the works 07:17  |  MichaelF 08/06/09
      29.   It`s not upto Obama to say how many bedrooms Israelis should have 07:19  |  Great White North 08/06/09
      30.   Yemenite settler refugees 07:32  |  Yoni 08/06/09
      31.   Who cares what Husein Obama says or wants. 07:42  |  Wise Saba 08/06/09
      32.   When civil war breaks out in Israel you will see dead 07:44  |  . 08/06/09
      33.   Shas guy spits in Obamas face. Dares Obama to take action 07:55  |  Jew From Israel 08/06/09
      34.   Settlements in Judea, Samaria, Gaza and the whole of Jerusalem... 08:04  |  Mario Sala 08/06/09
      35.   Obama will blink first 08:11  |  Observer 08/06/09
      36.   Peace in the middle east! 08:12  |  Suzy 08/06/09
      37.   Shas vs. America 08:18  |  Danny 08/06/09
      38.   extra money??? 08:38  |  sharon 08/06/09
      39.   Yishai and buddies 08:40  |  Kern M 08/06/09
      40.   Egypt can end its Gaza siege, Joseph E. 08:47  |  yona 08/06/09
      41.   Obama`s great strength 09:05  |  Ben Sram 08/06/09
      42.   Shas is fabulous as usual!!! 09:15  |  Dr eric 08/06/09
      43.   It is not Obama, it is Rahm Emanuel vs Bibi! 09:22  |  Manny Goldstein 08/06/09
      44.   There is no way to move 650,000 Jews 09:23  |  Dr Eric 08/06/09
      45.   The world won`t fall for wordplays any more 09:24  |  Apa 08/06/09
      46.   Wake up fools on the left- peace will come when... 09:24  |  DR ERIC 08/06/09
      47.   The Obama- Hillary-Beilin-Saudi plan... 09:32  |  Dr Eric 08/06/09
      48.   #13 Hey Great White, I`ve got news for you... 09:34  |  Mary 08/06/09
      49.   Suddenly it`s 650K Jews living West of the Green Line... 09:36  |  jesse james 08/06/09
      50.   #23 09:37  |  Aaron 08/06/09
      51.   Dr Eric 09:39  |  Mazal 08/06/09
      52.   Israel settlers = threat to US security 09:41  |  Golda 08/06/09
      53.   Fools Paradise 09:54  |  Shoaib 08/06/09
      54.   To all the anti Israel Leftests - you can`t eat the cake and.. 09:55  |  Dr Eric 08/06/09
      55.   Is Bibi colluding with Shas...? That`s the big question.... 09:57  |  Esther 08/06/09
      56.   Peace for Land, the Jewish way? 10:00  |  un2here 08/06/09
      57.   There is nothing "natural" about Settlements or their growth 10:12  |  Ivar 08/06/09
      58.   And as for Interior Min Yishai... 10:16  |  Esther 08/06/09
      59.   If you need work for builders 10:27  |  Stephen L 08/06/09
      60.   Yishai should keep quiet 10:39  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 08/06/09
      61.   Dr. Eric 40. The settlers can be Pal citizens. Without privileges 10:41  |  Michael 08/06/09
      62.   Israel will continue 10:47  |  Mike 08/06/09
      63.   # 36 Dr Eric - Solution ? 10:56  |  Michael 08/06/09
      64.   This Israeli governement is a blessing for the Palestinian cause 11:03  |  Swiss (Dino) 08/06/09
      65.   Settler Judaism is akin to Islamic Jihad 11:10  |  Matty Groves 08/06/09
      66.   If Obama fails, Israels fails too 11:11  |  ruben siedner 08/06/09
      67.   to Robert Oakland USA 11:14  |  ruben siedner 08/06/09
      68.   on "Hussein" Obama 11:16  |  Michael 08/06/09
      69.   How Israel can have delusional, messianic minesters? 11:17  |  Chaim 08/06/09
      70.   No shit, hey? 11:25  |  Johnboy 08/06/09
      71.   #60: Dino on Foot-Shooting 11:35  |  Solow 08/06/09
      72.   #48, Golda 11:42  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 08/06/09
      73.   #69 You have got to be kidding, Cipora 12:32  |  Johnboy 08/06/09
      74.   Yishai #19... gezuntheit with your birth-rate.... 12:45  |  Esther 08/06/09
      75.   Israel is playing with fire 12:46  |  Italian Zionist 08/06/09
      76.   #19 Yishai Kohen 12:57  |  BDS 08/06/09
      77.   I dunno, Cipora #69... those few thousand USA misfits... 12:57  |  Esther 08/06/09
      78.   #15 david 12:58  |  BDS 08/06/09
      79.   #62 Matty Groves 12:59  |  Jim 08/06/09
      80.   #46 doesn`t matter how many there are there. 13:03  |  Welshman 08/06/09
      81.   All settlements are illegal. Period 13:05  |  Yaakov 08/06/09
      82.   #63 ruben siedner 13:07  |  Jim 08/06/09
      83.   A Proud Shas Voter 13:10  |  Shmuel 08/06/09
      84.   Israel should cease it`s settlement development 13:17  |  Kofi 08/06/09
      85.   So he is unilateraly using our tax-money... 13:24  |  Wmr 08/06/09
      86.   Israel a burden to US 14:02  |  Gully Foyle 08/06/09
      87.   As a sidenote about Yishai 14:14  |  Wmr 08/06/09
      88.   Don`t expect to be bailed out by AIPAC -- or Congress 14:16  |  Gully Foyle 08/06/09
      89.   Esther: Hebron Was Sovereign Israel`s Capital Longer Thn Tel Aviv 14:18  |  Yishai Kohen 08/06/09
      90.   The transition begins 14:19  |  Natallie Durson 08/06/09
      91.   #55 esther the answer is in History "bibi is weak" 14:26  |  muslim-- 08/06/09
      92.   Yishai--enjoy being a Palestinian "Jew" 14:31  |  Labhras 08/06/09
      93.   #48 What Money 14:34  |  Medea 08/06/09
      94.   THE TIME IS COMING, EVERYTHING SEEMS IN PLACE 14:34  |  indrajaya 08/06/09
      95.   power 14:37  |  ehud 08/06/09
      96.   # 71 Solow, maybe they simply consume too many "painkillers"...:) 14:51  |  Swiss (Dino) 08/06/09
      97.   stupid 14:53  |  oz 08/06/09
      98.   Durson, first things first 18:11  |  *BEN JABO 08/06/09
      99.   THESE SETTLEMENTS ARE A DISASTER FOR ISRAEL 18:13  |  Todd 08/06/09
      100.   Israel ministry wages settlement war against U.S. 18:13  |  Rachel Schwartz 08/06/09
      101.   grab as much as you can, we can settle the rest later 19:16  |  Jimmy Carter 08/06/09
      102.   How to deal With Settlers 19:53  |  MIKE 08/06/09
      103.   98 Re: Grab what you can now... 20:09  |  Dutch 08/06/09
      104.   Yishai #89... state-of-denial... 20:31  |  Esther 08/06/09
      105.   Re: How to deal With Settlers 20:51  |  James 08/06/09
      106.   US vs israeli values and interests 21:01  |  Rina 08/06/09
      107.   Obama: Cut aid to Israel in amount of annual cost of settlements 21:02  |  Yitzhak 08/06/09
      108.   Pay No Attention to Ben jabo, Natalie 21:03  |  Yaakov Sullivan 08/06/09
      109.   #100 Rachel Schwartz 21:07  |  Michael 08/06/09
      110.   YISHAI 21:11  |  Bunim Efrati 08/06/09
      111.   It is Israel`s Land 21:14  |  Brod 08/06/09
      112.   When did "Judea" become "Palestine"? 21:22  |  RfaelMoshe 08/06/09
      113.   Natalie "abu jihad" dirson. We all know that Israel is 4000 yrs 21:58  |  Jae 08/06/09
      114.   WHAT WAR? This is our land! Judea. Thats right JEWWWWdea. 22:02  |  Jae 08/06/09
      115.   Make clear to the Clinton`s you will not set Israel`s Interests 22:02  |  Mark C 08/06/09
      116.   Shas takes on His Majesty blowhard, self absorbed, pretty boy 22:04  |  bernard ross 08/06/09
      117.   Durson: when things are bad, for Israel, it is good.for World 22:07  |  Israeli citizen 08/06/09
      118.   #60 CPK ... Peace only on Israel`s terms? 22:18  |  American 08/06/09
      119.   Well done Yishai 22:22  |  ezzat tamimi 08/06/09
      120.   RfaelMoshe: When Judea became Palestine 03:45  |  AT 09/06/09
      121.   dear rightist brothers,let`s have a national referendum 04:09  |  1 citizen 1 vote 09/06/09
      122.   Israel 04:29  |  ? 09/06/09
      123.   118-American : "Because "we` sit on hundreds of nuclear warheads" 05:48  |  Akram Zekaria 09/06/09
      124.   AT As thge Arab invaders expellled Jews from the West bank 10:42  |  PETER SM 09/06/09
      125.   Europeans support Israel 11:33  |  Thomas 09/06/09
      126.   isreal ministry wages settlement war against U.S. 01:11  |  m dwyer 10/06/09
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