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Ma'aleh Adumim Last update - 23:33 04/09/2006 PM didn't know in advance of tenders for West Bank houses By Nadav Shragai, Yoav Stern and Akiva Eldar, Haaretz Correspondents Prime Minister Ehud Olmert did not know in advance of the tenders for building hundreds of apartments in West Bank settlements issued by the Housing Ministry on Monday. The Housing Ministry on Monday solicited tenders for construction of 690 apartments in Beitar Ilit and Ma'aleh Adumim - the biggest such project approved by the Olmert government to date. Defense Minister Amir Peretz had been advised in advance of the expected tender, but Housing and Construction Minister Meir Sheetrit assumed there was no need for special approval from the Prime Minister's Office, since the construction is planned for large settlements within consensual settlement blocs. Advertisement Olmert had promised before the last election that he would act to expand communities within the large settlement blocs, including Ma'aleh Adumim and Beitar Ilit, as part of his "realignment" plan, intended to evacuate West Bank settlements situated beyond the separation barrier. The evacuation plan has been supsended in the meantime, in the wake of the war in Lebanon, but construction is continuing. Security sources said Monday that the construction plans for Ma'aleh Adumim and Beitar Ilit had already been approved last year, under the government of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz. The sources said the tenders for Ma'aleh Adumim are part of a larger plan to build 4,000 apartments in the town. Israel wishes to annex Beitar Ilit, west of Jerusalem, and Ma'aleh Adumim, to Jerusalem's east, to the capital, together with Gush Etzion, Givat Ze'ev and others, in any final-status agreement with the Palestinians. The ultra-Orthodox Beitar Ilit, with a population of about 30,000, is one of Israel's fastest-growing towns. Ma'aleh Adumim has some 35,000 residents. Building plan E-1, intended to physically link Ma'aleh Adumim to Jerusalem, was suspended in response to American objections. Notwithstanding this, Israel began construction of a large police station in the E-1 area, intended to house the West Bank's police headquarters. Peace Now director Yariv Oppenheimer said on Monday that the tenders prove "that Olmert's government is behaving like a right-wing government, for all intents and purposes. "Instead of evacuating illegal outposts and suspending construction in the settlements, the government is building hundreds of housing units in the territories, and planning to legitimize dozens of illegal outposts. These acts violate Israel's commitment to the Road Map and Labor and Kadima's undertakings to their voters," he said. The settlers' Yesha Council, however, welcomed the tenders and said it hoped more would be issued. Council officials said that construction in the settlement blocs has been acceped by most Zionist parties, including Labor, the Likud and Kadima, and that the public is tired of Peace Now's attempt to portray construction in these areas as a provocation. Officials in the Ma'aleh Adumim municipality said that construction in the town strengthens Jerusalem and urged joining the town to the capital. Housing Ministry spokesman Kobi Bleich said the tenders were for construction within already built-up parts of both towns, not for new neighborhoods or outposts. Prior to Olmert's election, the government issued tenders for only 98 new West Bank housing units in the West Bank during the past year. The approval of construction in the large settlements accompanies the Ministry of Justice outpost aurthorization initiative. According to a recent Haaretz report, the Ministry of Justice has formulated a decision proposal according to which no illegal outposts in the West Bank would be evacuated. Instead, the state would legitimize the outposts and provide them with government funding, discarding the recommendations made by Talia Sasson in her report Bookmark to del.icio.us   The gift of dignity T.A. charity provides female drug addicts with shower, meal and counseling. Sign of life Hamas leader says Gilad Shalit is still alive after two years in captivity.   1.   More than 100s through Samaria and Judea. 11:38  |  Vital 04/09/06   2.   Madness 11:46  |  Traveller 04/09/06   3.   BUILD,BUILD & BUILD...Its our land!!!!!!! 11:50  |  Ben Uziel 04/09/06   4.   Vital--You are a clever idiot 11:51  |  American Jew 04/09/06   5.   CONGRATULATIONS 11:54  |  Max 04/09/06   6.   Anti-semitism 11:58  |  Brigitte Meier 04/09/06   7.   damn scandal 12:02  |  Mickey Mouse 04/09/06   8.   He is coming 12:08  |  Nasser 04/09/06   9.   1. Vital 12:11  |  Mendel the Mean 04/09/06   10.   the land is Israel`s; there is no turning back now ... 12:11  |  Theodor 04/09/06   11.   Hint 12:12  |  Aron 04/09/06   12.   This is what we want! To build on our land! 12:13  |  moish 04/09/06   13.   Nasrallah is coming? 12:14  |  Theodor 04/09/06   14.   Cheap talk about peace? 12:15  |  Tarif-es-Zaid. 04/09/06   15.   Madness 12:18  |  Barrie the Zionist 04/09/06   16.   Olmert, are you crazy????? Stop this!!! 12:20  |  Hardy David Stein 04/09/06   17.   What a PR program we have! 12:27  |  Yoni 04/09/06   18.   to Theodor - then the people are Israel`s as well... 12:30  |  SD 04/09/06   19.   At last, some good news! 12:30  |  Roni 04/09/06   20.   Build, build, build and build some more!! 12:34  |  Miriam 04/09/06   21.   Settler Homes 12:37  |  Bill 04/09/06   22.   Better put wheels under the new homes 12:39  |  sh 04/09/06   23.   Nothing illustrates it better 12:40  |  David 04/09/06   24.   Another Reason to Leave Israel 12:43  |  JS 04/09/06   25.   marvellous news 12:49  |  herodotus 04/09/06   26.   Give Israel to Israelis 13:12  |  Friend of Israel 04/09/06   27.   #11 13:14  |  Observer+- 04/09/06   28.   So Ya Want Peace, Huh? 13:19  |  john 04/09/06   29.   settler homes 13:28  |  Aaron 04/09/06   30.   THIEVES 13:29  |  Victor of europe 04/09/06   31.   Give Israel to Israeli`s 13:29  |  raul 04/09/06   32.   do as u pls 13:40  |  Nasser 04/09/06   33.   Gaza & West Bank need protection of an armed UN force now! 13:41  |  Joe Average 04/09/06   34.   Rightly So Olmert!! 13:51  |  King Leonidas 04/09/06   35.   #32 Nasser is right, Olmert choose the way for Israel to survive! 13:54  |  H. Stein 04/09/06   36.   ULTIMATE STUPIDITY 13:58  |  Iskander 04/09/06   37.   RE: #15 Madness 14:07  |  Joe Average 04/09/06   38.   This Is OUR Land & We`ll Build Where We Want To 14:16  |  Yishai Kohen 04/09/06   39.   Olmert putting the final nails into the coffin 14:25  |  Osborne Reed 04/09/06   40.   Olmert will give them back in a couple of years 14:27  |  tuna 04/09/06   41.   Israel 14:33  |  Will 04/09/06   42.   More Settlers home being built 14:35  |  Ely greenhut 04/09/06   43.   # 31 Mr. Oxford 14:39  |  Friend of Israel 04/09/06   44.   Tender to build new homes in West Bank Foolish 14:46  |  Linda 04/09/06   45.   Money is not waisted if Israel build skyscrapers on shore 14:55  |  Robert 04/09/06   46.   Stupid policy 14:55  |  jon 04/09/06   47.   ITS ABOUT TIME 15:12  |  Dr David Grosss 04/09/06   48.   not controversial--CONSISTENT w/ BUSH`S PLAN FOR SETTLEMENT BLOCS 15:13  |  Gush Etzion settler 04/09/06   49.   #15 Stolen land 15:14  |  Dav 04/09/06   50.   land 15:18  |  mohammed 04/09/06   51.   Poor Decision Making/Poor Timing 15:18  |  SJ 04/09/06   52.   yes, you greedy immoral landgrabbers 15:25  |  manyook 04/09/06   53.   Ali Baba and 40 Bandits 15:27  |  Adel 04/09/06   54.   In the final settlement with the Palestinians 15:28  |  Clickfool 04/09/06   55.   and you say you want peace...??? 15:28  |  Christos 04/09/06   56.   To those who lost their way. 15:30  |  Vital 04/09/06   57.   Up yours!!, to the Quartet. 15:30  |  Osborne Reed 04/09/06   58.   Olmert the statesman 15:31  |  dierre 04/09/06   59.   Bad news for Israel 15:33  |  Dorothy 04/09/06   60.   If you occupy 1 donum from your neighbor ?? 15:37  |  Simon 04/09/06   61.   Allow Olmert To Rise From The Dead First 15:38  |  Tony Anthony 04/09/06   62.   Soon we will give them all homes in territories 15:40  |  Alfred 04/09/06   63.   Olmert don`t divert our intentions from the North 15:47  |  Assaf 04/09/06   64.   "PEACE NOW" = EXTREMIST LEFT WING 16:01  |  MIKE 04/09/06   65.   Tenders issued for hundreds of homes in W. Bank settlements 16:01  |  Baruch 04/09/06   66.   Israel 16:01  |  fred 04/09/06   67.   JUST ANOTHER POLITICAL TRICK FOR OLMERT TO SURVIVE: LIBERATE GAZA 16:11  |  -VOICE of MOSHIACH)) 04/09/06   68.   LAND GRAB 16:12  |  NeutralObserver 04/09/06   69.   settlements 16:18  |  norman ravitch 04/09/06   70.   Tenders issued for hundreds of homes in W. Bank settlements 16:36  |  adas 04/09/06   71.   I don`t understand 16:37  |  gabe 04/09/06   72.   Build it all! 16:38  |  Texasjew 04/09/06   73.   Wrong Move Olmert 16:39  |  Danite 04/09/06   74.   Beitar and Maale Adumin 5-10 minutes from Jerusalem 16:40  |  Jabadini 04/09/06   75.   #39 16:40  |  gabe 04/09/06   76.   Nasser #32 Stein #35 Major Self Destructive Behavior 16:43  |  Dorothy 04/09/06   77.   Killing Peace 16:48  |  Farooq 04/09/06   78.   Great News 16:50  |  Choni 04/09/06   79.   Bilam 16:54  |  Choni 04/09/06   80.   Vote 16:59  |  Choni 04/09/06   81.   what a joke 17:03  |  zub 04/09/06   82.   NASSRALLAH IS COMING 17:08  |  JACOB 04/09/06   83.   Those Pesky Israelis 17:14  |  Milton 04/09/06   84.   New Settlements 17:16  |  kenzo 04/09/06   85.   OLMERT OUT - NOW! 17:17  |  Bruno 04/09/06   86.   What is next? 17:23  |  George Schroeder 04/09/06   87.   Dorothy Hello 17:28  |  Danite 04/09/06   88.   Opportunity knocks but once 17:34  |  Yonatan 04/09/06   89.   348 + 342 = 690; where are the remaining 98 to be? 17:49  |  Yaakov K. 04/09/06   90.   Clear as daylight 17:54  |  Baz Mann 04/09/06   91.   answer to #6-anti semitism 17:58  |  open eyes 04/09/06   92.   Moish`s racism 18:02  |  icon 04/09/06   93.   Never 18:04  |  Aron 04/09/06   94.   self-destruct mode 18:04  |  chelemer 04/09/06   95.   re: Texasjew - Build it all 18:06  |  American 04/09/06   96.   simple provocation, hate or stupidity 18:08  |  Clod 04/09/06   97.   You must be kidding 18:10  |  lb 04/09/06   98.   peace LOL 18:11  |  Efraim 04/09/06   99.   Housing in Plaestine 18:14  |  Otto Rand 04/09/06   100.   Beitar Illit and Maale Adumim 18:20  |  Avi Yerushalmi 04/09/06   101.   Beitar Illit and Maale Adumim 18:20  |  Avi Yerushalmi 04/09/06   102.   Voice of Moshiach, #50 18:22  |  Otto Rand 04/09/06   103.   ethnic cleansing by Israel goes unchecked 18:39  |  anti-racist 04/09/06   104.   To settler supporters and zionists 18:43  |  Lubnani Yehudi 04/09/06   105.   #3 Uziel, do you have proof that you are somehow related to the 18:46  |  p 04/09/06   106.   Sad day for the world 18:47  |  Julie 04/09/06   107.   Muslims.. the only religious extremists? 18:49  |  p 04/09/06   108.   Good, enough of Arab occupation of Jewish land 18:53  |  zioni 04/09/06   109.   Time to get serious about this 19:04  |  Dr. L. Brnd 04/09/06   110.   israel is exactly right 19:19  |  lord acton 04/09/06   111.   #3, ben Uziel 19:27  |  Hannah 04/09/06   112.   is it peace or peice 19:29  |  a jabbar achakzai 04/09/06   113.   p #70 19:31  |  Avi Yerushalmi 04/09/06   114.   Peace Now = Dillutional Now 19:31  |  Gili 04/09/06   115.   To Brigitte Meier 19:38  |  Hannah 04/09/06   116.   A histrory of violents 19:50  |  maoriboy 04/09/06   117.   More brilliant Olmert Timing 19:54  |  Mark Lincoln 04/09/06   118.   W. Bank 19:54  |  tired 04/09/06   119.   build on e1 now 19:55  |  zadok the priest 04/09/06   120.   Response to He is Coming 8 20:02  |  Scott Neuman 04/09/06   121.   Ending the Illegal Arab Occupation of Eretz Israel 20:09  |  Ben Israel 04/09/06   122.   Build on Palestine anf they will come ! 20:17  |  Dave 04/09/06   123.   When talk and deeds don`t match 20:17  |  Roi 04/09/06   124.   74. Dr. Brnd - spoken like a real Zionist 20:22  |  some old Yid 04/09/06   125.   betar 20:23  |  Eric 04/09/06   126.   No partner for peace 20:23  |  Janice 04/09/06   127.   Is Israel fighting terrorist or fighting to keep land? 20:26  |  Kosher 04/09/06   128.   Is Israel fighting terrorist or fighting to keep land? 20:26  |  Kosher 04/09/06   129.   let`s not be too surprised 20:28  |  Whoopsie 04/09/06   130.   Labor should immediately leave the coalition 20:29  |  David ben Avigdor 04/09/06   131.   P BRAIN #70 20:32  |  Gabe1 04/09/06   132.   Hope over experience 20:38  |  jerrym 04/09/06   133.   Danite #56 20:41  |  Gabe1 04/09/06   134.   Tired #80 20:45  |  Gabe1 04/09/06   135.   Israel is building "peace" as usual 20:49  |  Petteri 04/09/06   136.   Dorothy #59 20:52  |  Gabe1 04/09/06   137.   To "old yid" -- What BS, what were your grandparents doing? 20:53  |  Dr. L. Brnd 04/09/06   138.   To Micky Mouse and all the Sicilians 21:02  |  hope 04/09/06   139.   dr.brnd-original thinking 21:28  |  sabre 04/09/06   140.   icon`s racism 21:31  |  peter 04/09/06   141.   any tenders for arab housing? 21:34  |  peter 04/09/06   142.   #91 of course there`s no partner for peace 21:44  |  Michael 04/09/06   143.   #30 - you must be reading the Koran and not the Bible - wink wink 21:51  |  Michael 04/09/06   144.   The Armistice lines of 1949 were never ... 21:54  |  Avi Yerushalmi 04/09/06   145.   Hezbollah will fund the new expansion 21:54  |  Mario 04/09/06   146.   #104 Dr. Brnd 22:01  |  Janice 04/09/06   147.   Nasser 22:23  |  Connie 04/09/06   148.   Peace? 22:31  |  Ali 04/09/06   149.   JS 22:32  |  Connie 04/09/06   150.   #110 Michael: Which Bible? 22:38  |  Ali 04/09/06   151.   Ben Gurion or David ibn Avigdor 22:41  |  gabe1 04/09/06   152.   anti racist 22:43  |  Connie 04/09/06   153.   5 minutes from Apartheid Jerusalem 22:46  |  Lebanese admirer 04/09/06   154.   Sabre in Haifa #106 22:48  |  Gabe1 04/09/06   155.   #91 Herr Hollingsworth 22:51  |  Connie 04/09/06   156.   Hannah from Canada 23:03  |  Gabe1 04/09/06   157.   Expanded settlements 23:07  |  Jack 04/09/06   158.   FREE HOUSING FROM THE USA 23:10  |  Le Maudit Anglais 04/09/06   159.   #116 Connie update 23:32  |  Boycott 04/09/06   160.   Jack #124 23:41  |  Gabe1 04/09/06   161.   #124-expanded settlements-insanity is... 23:45  |  open eyes 04/09/06   162.   Who says that Apartheid is wrong? 23:53  |  Avi Yerushalmi 04/09/06   163.   Boycott 23:59  |  Connie 04/09/06   164.   this is crazy 00:03  |  noemi 05/09/06   165.   #28-John 00:13  |  Steve 05/09/06   166.   testing, testing, testing 00:20  |  Danny Holstein 05/09/06   167.   Blanket Condemnation 00:25  |  Sheri 05/09/06   168.   Gabe1- 00:25  |  Dorothy 05/09/06   169.   Naomi 00:30  |  jeff 05/09/06   170.   #119 Gabe1 00:33  |  David ben Avigdor 05/09/06   171.   Noemi - This is Crazy 00:35  |  Dorothy 05/09/06   172.   sad for Israel 00:44  |  Ernst 05/09/06   173.   Boycott (2nd try) 01:14  |  Connnie 05/09/06   174.   Front page news here today 01:16  |  Californian 05/09/06   175.   Palestine for the Palestinians! 01:24  |  Angelique 05/09/06   176.   MORE ACTS OF WAR! 01:46  |  Joe 05/09/06   177.   Shameful settlement expansion 01:50  |  prairdog 05/09/06   178.   west bank tenders 01:50  |  zeev 05/09/06   179.   The PM didn`t know??? How much of this deal goes into his pocket? 02:19  |  Nannette 05/09/06   180.   MORE ACTS OF WAR! 02:19  |  Joe 05/09/06   181.   #124, Gabe 1 02:21  |  Hannah 05/09/06   182.   aint gonna happen, angelique 02:21  |  Theodor 05/09/06   183.   To ben Gurion, re Gabe 1 02:37  |  Hannah 05/09/06   184.   #111 Janice. Your logic is bass ackwards 02:46  |  Dr. L. Brnd 05/09/06   185.   angeliqa. 02:55  |  mike 05/09/06   186.   angelique 02:58  |  connie 05/09/06   187.   To Scot Neuman: please don`t become yet another babbling idiot 03:07  |  Hannah 05/09/06   188.   There are no israeli civilians beyond the 67 borders 03:08  |  The One and Only 05/09/06   189.   #105 Dr Brnd 03:13  |  Tony Price 05/09/06   190.   Mr ben Avigdor - Accomplices 03:14  |  Mark Lincoln 05/09/06   191.   Finland`s Petteri 03:36  |  Hannah 05/09/06   192.   Dorothy 03:41  |  Danite 05/09/06   193.   What to do when the plea is ignorance? 03:47  |  Mark Lincoln 05/09/06   194.   Settlements 03:55  |  Jesse Kaplan 05/09/06   195.   Dorothy #129 04:05  |  gabe1 05/09/06   196.   Learning something from the US (Mark Lincoln #138) 04:20  |  David ben Avigdor 05/09/06   197.   Hannah from Canada 04:24  |  gabe1 05/09/06   198.   If you hear voices go to see a psychiatrist. 04:34  |  Ex-galil Cowboy 05/09/06   199.   Angelique--What does our land mean? 05:02  |  Roberta Seid 05/09/06   200.   Brigitte Meier 05:09  |  Jerry 05/09/06   201.   Jesse Kaplan - Israel and whom? 05:28  |  Mark Lincoln 05/09/06   202.   Theodor, Jerusalem will never be yours, it is a matter of time. 05:32  |  gus 05/09/06   203.   Dvid ben Avigdor 05:35  |  Mark Lincoln 05/09/06   204.   #141 Tony Price, what 20 years could you be talking about? 05:43  |  Dr. L. Brnd 05/09/06   205.   Theodor, Nasrallah is not one person he is a nation 05:46  |  gus 05/09/06   206.   Barrie, we are all anti-semite, according to you 05:55  |  gus 05/09/06   207.   If I were a jew 06:26  |  wannabe 05/09/06   208.   NO PARTNER FOR PEACE 06:41  |  watcher 05/09/06   209.   Cleansing (Mark Lincoln #155) 06:50  |  David ben Avigdor 05/09/06   210.   Cleansing (Mark Lincoln #155) 06:55  |  David ben Avigdor 05/09/06   211.   MORE ACTS OF WAR! 07:11  |  Joe 05/09/06   212.   Boycott 07:13  |  Connie 05/09/06   213.   wannabee 07:17  |  Connie 05/09/06   214.   Myopia is a disease of Left. 10:00  |  Vital 05/09/06   215.   199: Roberta 16:32  |  Ali 05/09/06   216.   Vital and the Rabbi 16:57  |  Mendel the Mean 05/09/06   217.   #121 settlers are squatters 17:29  |  Canadian 05/09/06   218.   By definition: war crime 18:39  |  Jan Elshout 05/09/06   219.   War crime? 23:13  |  Vital 05/09/06   220.   Settle this quickly 00:19  |  Doug 01/04/08

Today Online Jerusalem council okays 600 new Jewish homes in Arab area Responses: 223 Yishai: Israel must negotiate with Hamas over Shalit release Responses: 133 Editorial: Peace talks, even on Jerusalem, must be secret Responses: 47 MK Swaid: Demolition of Arab homes will lead to an explosion Responses: 46 Rosner's Domain New Guest: Rabbis who don't officiate intermarriage should refer to rabbis who do Poll: What percentage of Jews will vote McCain? 38% for pressuring Palestinians, 25% for pressuring Israel (WTR) Can McCain get a boost from the new dovish Jewish lobby? More Headlines 21:34 Israeli kills Palestinian knifeman in attempted West Bank attack 01:43 Barak heeds Rice call, reverses course to back PA border plan 21:54 Jerusalem council okays 600 new Jewish homes in Arab area 00:17 Abducted soldier's mother: PM must pay price to retrieve them 23:09 Amir Peretz to Ehud Barak: Who would want to vote for you? 23:51 IDF tracker charged with 'aiding Hezbollah in war against Israel' 19:40 Clinton and Obama voters support Israel in similar numbers 20:06 Once a week, the gift of human dignity 16:30 Norway tries suspects in 2006 shooting at main Oslo synagogue 21:28 Barak allots NIS 30M more for security in frontline communities 23:04 Law sets 3-year jail penalty for car-owners who go to mechanics in PA 18:52 Rights group demands gov't stop demolishing Bedouin homes Previous Editions Select Day 31 mar 30 mar 28 mar 27 mar 26 mar 25 mar 24 mar 23 mar 21 mar 20 mar 19 mar 18 mar

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