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Last update - 00:00 28/02/2007
Gov't promoting plan for new ultra-Orthodox East Jerusalem neighborhood
By Meron Rapoport, Haaretz Correspondent

Government bodies have been promoting a preliminary plan over the past few weeks to build a neighborhood of 11,000 units for the ultra-Orthodox near the East Jerusalem airport.

The plan also calls for the construction of a tunnel under a Palestinian neighborhood to connect the new quarter to one of the settlements in the Beit El area east of Ramallah.

MK Otniel Schneller (Kadima) said Tuesday that the Housing Ministry is the body that developed a plan to erect a massive new ultra-Orthodox neighborhood in East Jerusalem. The ministry denied any knowledge of the project.
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Schneller also said Tuesday that the Jerusalem municipality was "happy with the idea."

In response to Schneller's claims that the housing ministry hatched the plan, they said, "the ministry has no knowledge of this plan. At most, only the Jerusalem district of the ministry knew about it."

The plan has not yet been submitted to the various planning committees since, according to Schneller, "it is only in the idea and feasibility stage."

The new neighborhood is to be built close to the separation fence near the Qalandiyah road block, which separates the Palestinian neighborhoods of north Jerusalem from Ramallah. If approved, it would be the largest building project over the Green Line in Jerusalem since the 1967 Six-Day War.

The neighborhood, which will apparently be built on state or Jewish National Fund land would sit in the heart of one of the most crowded urban Palestinian areas in the West Bank.

The architectural firm planning the project, Reches Eshkol, refused to divulge which government body had commissioned the plans. Despite the Housing Ministry's response, Haaretz has learned that the plan was presented a number of times to various official bodies, and that the director of the Housing Ministry's Jerusalem district, Moshe Merhavya, was present at least at one such instance.

Schneller said of the project: "I saw the plans in the programs division of the Housing Ministry and I very much enjoyed seeing them."

Schneller explained that even though the Safdie Plan to construct housing in the western part of Jerusalem has been shelved, the need to build in Jerusalem still exists. "The ultra-Orthodox public needs its solutions," he said. "There is the possibility that it will conquer the inner city, and that this city will then become an ultra-Orthodox-Arab city, which I would not want to happen."

Schneller, who is the former head of the Yesha settlement council and now serves as Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's liaison to the settlers, said he has not yet spoken to the prime minister about the plan. "But from what I know of the government's position, there is an Israeli interest in establishing a neighborhood in Atarot.

The plan proposes connecting the new neighborhood to the ultra-Orthodox settlement of Kokhav Yaakov east of Ramallah, which is at present outside the planned route of the separation fence. To this end, a tunnel a few hundred meters long would be dug beneath the Palestinian village of Aqab and under the separation fence.

The idea to build an "eastern fence" to separate the settlements of the Jordan Valley and the mountains from large Palestinian communities like Ramallah had been raised in the past. The construction of the tunnel might be the first step in this direction. "If it is someday decided that Kokhav Yaakov will be part of the 'Jerusalem envelope' it would be logical to create such a link, but it has not yet been decided," Schneller said.

The municipality said that "when the plan is officially presented to the municipality, it will be discussed and a decision will be made about it."

Some of the neighborhoods built around Jerusalem after the Six-Day War were planned by the Housing Ministry and were established over the objections of then-mayor Teddy Kollek. Meron Benvenisti, who served as deputy mayor at that time, said that the area has complex problems: prior to the Six-Day war some of its land belonged to municipalities like al-Bireh, which are today in the Palestinian territories. "It is complete insanity to place tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews in the heart of a densely populated Arab area," he said. "No one thinks about how they will live there. It's like living in the middle of Ramallah."

Attorney Danny Zindman of the Ir Amim association says such a plan will lead to the "balkanization" of Jerusalem.
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  1.   Housing ministry says......... 07:05  |  martin list, m.d. 28/02/07
  2.   Ultra Orthdox housing 09:53  |  Ely Greenhut 28/02/07
  3.   Ultra Orthdox housing 09:54  |  Ely Greenhut 28/02/07
  4.   Equal opportunity 10:14  |  Dani Reiss 28/02/07
  5.   Only in Israel 10:17  |  Mike 28/02/07
  6.   another Is-it-real land-grab 10:23  |  samos 28/02/07
  7.   I wish for a day the entire east Jerusalem will be Jewish residen 10:41  |  e.m 28/02/07
  8.   Is there anything apartheid here... 10:42  |  Standish 28/02/07
  9.   Real Progress 10:59  |  Fritz 28/02/07
  10.   Arrogant, twisted and self-destructive. 11:08  |  Deborah 28/02/07
  11.   Could be politically correct 11:11  |  Aviela 28/02/07
  12.   Build life for Israelis 11:14  |  Josef 28/02/07
  13.   Great news! 11:16  |  Josh Feigelbaum 28/02/07
  14.   What drivel, largest? What about Gilo, Har Homa, Ramot, Pisgat z 11:21  |  booyakasha 28/02/07
  15.   Re:Standish # 8 11:27  |  e.m 28/02/07
  16.   Deborah Dear, it`s TOO LATE ! 11:35  |  Khalil 28/02/07
  17.   "Jerusalem" airport 11:40  |  SD 28/02/07
  18.   Fools rush in 11:58  |  D Hirod 28/02/07
  19.   in response to all you blind people 12:00  |  efrat 28/02/07
  20.   keep on building on Jewish land!!!!! 12:12  |  Brad 28/02/07
  21.   Israel Really Really Really Wants Peace! 12:13  |  Paulo 28/02/07
  22.   Shame 12:32  |  Michele 28/02/07
  23.   New E Jeruslam Neighbourhood 12:33  |  Nathan 28/02/07
  24.   To E.M Spoken like a Hitler. 12:42  |  Georges 28/02/07
  25.   #21 Paolo: Jews returning to our stolen lands 12:54  |  Yacov 28/02/07
  26.   Standish how stupid are you? apartheid hahah 12:54  |  Steven 28/02/07
  27.   Paulo who really really doen`t recognize Israel`s 12:57  |  Nirah Greenberg 28/02/07
  28.   Nathan Good Post 12:57  |  Ronnie Wolman 28/02/07
  29.   Even if I beleived in Land for peace ... 13:07  |  Steven 28/02/07
  30.   Israel: Palestine is Jewish, keep building!!! 13:13  |  Khalil 28/02/07
  31.   But East Jerusalem is not part of Israel 13:22  |  Stephen Murray 28/02/07
  32.   # 22 Michele 13:30  |  Josef 28/02/07
  33.   and this as the sanctions go on against the palestinians 13:31  |  Frank 28/02/07
  34.   The peace loving jewish state 13:33  |  Samuel 28/02/07
  35.   Get out of East Jerusalem 13:36  |  SM 28/02/07
  36.   Archetype Behavior 13:43  |  Double Click 28/02/07
  37.   #31 Stephen Murray: Your blatant lies and filthy propaganda 13:56  |  Yacov 28/02/07
  38.   re: Nirah #27 14:00  |  Paulo 28/02/07
  39.   # 31 Stephen Murray 14:04  |  Josef 28/02/07
  40.   # 31 Stephen Murray 14:04  |  Josef 28/02/07
  41.   agreed with Benvenisti 14:06  |  Damir 28/02/07
  42.   Paulo and his refusal to recognize Israel`s right 14:17  |  Nirah Greenberg 28/02/07
  43.   Massive problem of illegal Arab building in E. Jerusalem 14:31  |  Yacov 28/02/07
  44.   The owners are Jewish 14:46  |  Bandar Michaels 28/02/07
  45.   #31 Stephen Murray 14:59  |  Racon-tour 28/02/07
  46.   To Nirah and all 15:05  |  Georges 28/02/07
  47.   JEWISH VS. ISLAMIC TUNNELS 15:07  |  B 28/02/07
  48.   The "balkanisation" of Jerusalem 15:11  |  Yaakov Sullivan 28/02/07
  49.   sounds good 15:21  |  harzion 28/02/07
  50.   Primer on Land-Grabbing 15:21  |  B 28/02/07
  51.   ultra othodox housing ine.jerusalem 15:41  |  shimshon kinory 28/02/07
  52.   Damir, that is exactly the point of their colonisation #41 15:49  |  Yaakov Sullivan 28/02/07
  53.   # 6 another is it real .. 15:54  |  Maureen E 28/02/07
  54.   yacov of ashquelon screaming to the wind #37 15:59  |  Yaakov Sullivan 28/02/07
  55.   # 31 But East Jerusalem.. 15:59  |  Maureen E 28/02/07
  56.   Arabs must stop violence and commit to "real" peace. 16:01  |  common sense 28/02/07
  57.   # 35 Get the Palestinians out .. 16:03  |  Bamber G 28/02/07
  58.   To so called Common Sense 16:10  |  Georges 28/02/07
  59.   Yaakov Sullivan 16:12  |  ODP 28/02/07
  60.   # 22 Michele, part two 16:25  |  Josef 28/02/07
  61.   ODP, good question on a divided camp #59 16:30  |  Yaakov Sullivan 28/02/07
  62.   Bandar Michaels, Israel is not interested #44 16:50  |  Yaakov Sullivan 28/02/07
  63.   The Apartheid State of Israel 16:53  |  margaret 28/02/07
  64.   yaakov sullivan...its israeli land 16:54  |  SHIMON 28/02/07
  65.   Shimon, says who #65 17:14  |  Yaakov Sullivan 28/02/07
  66.   To common sense 17:16  |  Georges 28/02/07
  67.   Yaakov Sullivan 17:32  |  ODP 28/02/07
  68.   66geroges. Look around you "mate." 17:48  |  common sense 28/02/07
  69.   Yaakov Sullivan: Lying to the wind 17:49  |  Yacov 28/02/07
  70.   #63 Margaret: Look at apartheid Arab Muslim countries 17:53  |  Yacov 28/02/07
  71.   8 #standish 18:03  |  alonitzafoni 28/02/07
  72.   IMHO ... 18:06  |  Ernie 28/02/07
  73.   buy out an Arab area instead 18:08  |  David G 28/02/07
  74.   ODP. it is a possibilty....#67 18:15  |  Yaakov Sullivan 28/02/07
  75.   David G, on paying the citizens to leave #73 18:24  |  Yaakov Sullivan 28/02/07
  76.   we never asked them to 19:11  |  alonitzafoni 28/02/07
  77.   #70 what? 19:38  |  margaret 28/02/07
  78.   Perhaps This Development Could Be Offset By.. 19:55  |  Yaakov Sullivan 28/02/07
  79.   I cannot understand WHY? 20:08  |  Aaron 28/02/07
  80.   #78 re Katamon 20:11  |  D Hirod 28/02/07
  81.   76ysullivan. Excellent idea. 20:16  |  curious 28/02/07
  82.   to Yaakov Sullivan: Go right ahead 20:26  |  David G 28/02/07
  83.   Yaacov Sullivan 20:26  |  Bandar Michaels 28/02/07
  84.   David G 20:29  |  ODP 28/02/07
  85.   D. Hirod on Katamon #80 20:31  |  Yaakov Sullivan 28/02/07
  86.   44 - Jerusalem is the Capitol of Israel 20:31  |  Bruriah Sarah 28/02/07
  87.   We will be better off with a Binational Republic. 20:32  |  Filistinian 28/02/07
  88.   curious, you set yourself up with your question #81 20:36  |  Yaakov Sullivan 28/02/07
  89.   78 - Israel has the right to settle in its own land 20:36  |  Bruriah Sarah 28/02/07
  90.   Now the International Communities 20:40  |  Peace Lover 28/02/07
  91.   Aaron do you have memory loss? 20:41  |  Steven 28/02/07
  92.   Bruriah Sarah / A correction on Mt. Olives Cemetery 21:00  |  Bandar Michaels 28/02/07
  93.   Housing and settlements 21:05  |  Erik Svensson 28/02/07
  94.   Bandar Michaels, how true. Thank you for sharing that #83 21:30  |  Yaakov Sullivan 28/02/07
  95.   Racistapartheidville? 21:33  |  tadchase 28/02/07
  96.   Filistinian 21:49  |  ODP 28/02/07
  97.   one thing on their mind 22:12  |  rose 28/02/07
  98.   Yaakov Sullivan 22:12  |  tadchase 28/02/07
  99.   Steven and his zionist rantings #91 22:35  |  Yaakov Sullivan 28/02/07
  100.   Yaakov Sullivan = Jew hater and liar 22:55  |  Steven 28/02/07
  101.   Point of information 23:37  |  tadchase 28/02/07
  102.   Bruriah Sarah 23:45  |  tadchase 28/02/07
  103.   Thank you Badar for that. #83 00:00  |  Yaakov Sullivan 01/03/07
  104.   Steven you seem to be the one#97 00:04  |  Yaakov Sullivan 01/03/07
  105.   #53Maureen E, Why start only 3 000yrs. ago? Why not... 00:26  |  Maureen Ann 01/03/07
  106.   105maureenann. colonialism. 00:50  |  curious 01/03/07
  107.   Kudos to the Kartographer 00:56  |  JB 01/03/07
  108.   91# StevenL..Dont be greedy. 01:20  |  Aaron 01/03/07
  109.   New neighborhood 01:34  |  KT 01/03/07
  110.   con.Sence. Pals.Violence due 2OCCUPATION 01:44  |  MORE C`MON SENCE 01/03/07
  111.   #curious There is no comparison today 2007... 02:24  |  Maureen Ann 01/03/07
  112.   samos 03:01  |  rich 01/03/07
  113.   Maureen Anne 08:47  |  Zelkha 01/03/07
  114.   the blind 09:30  |  jj burke 01/03/07
  115.   Ghetto or Colditz? 09:49  |  sh 01/03/07
  116.   Jewish claim to the land 12:53  |  Leah 06/03/07
  117.   Build It Already 19:13  |  Rudy 23/12/08
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