Housing minister: No politically motivated delays on Jewish homes in E. Jerusalem - Haaretz

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Thu., February 14, 2008 Adar1 8, 5768

Israel Time: 02:09 (EST+7)

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Housing minister: No politically motivated delays on Jewish homes in E. Jerusalem

By Nadav Shragai

Housing and Construction Minister Ze'ev Boim (Kadima) said yesterday there were no politically motivated delays, restrictions or postponements concerning construction in Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem.

Boim was responding to comments by the Jerusalem city manager, Yair Ma'ayan, who told Haaretz, in an article published yesterday that the government was delaying the publication of requests for bids for construction of some 750 housing units in the northern Jerusalem neighborhood of Pisgat Ze'ev and some 150 units in the southern Jerusalem neighborhood of Har Homa, both of which are over the Green Line, due to the negotiations with the Palestinians.

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Boim, who made the comments to the Knesset Economics Committee, said Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's order that construction in the settlements be frozen and construction plans be brought to him for approval applies only to the West Bank, not to Jerusalem. Boim said the request for bids in Har Homa were in the final stages of coordination with the municipality and will be made public later, though only after it becomes clear whether there was a demand for the last offer for construction in Har Homa, issued two months ago.

Reports about that request for bids generated a political storm, angering the Palestinians and Americans. Olmert ordered that he be kept informed of any building plans in East Jerusalem, and he recently assured Shas party chair and Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Eli Yishai that there was no freeze on construction in the capital.

However, Ma'ayan reiterated his contention yesterday, arguing that political figures in the Housing Ministry had informed him that the ministry was delaying publication of the bid solicitations for housing in Pisgat Ze'ev and Har Homa. Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski said the city was advancing plans to build 10,000 housing units in Jewish neighborhoods in the eastern part of the city, and said he would not allow Jerusalem to be turned into an "illegal outpost."

MK Uri Ariel (National Union-National Religious Party), who initiated the discussion in the Knesset committee Monday, offered confirmation of Ma'ayan's comments.

"A very senior official on the liaison, supervision and control team in the Prime Minister's Office has been regularly receiving, on the prime minister's order, material from the Housing Ministry regarding construction plans in the Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem," Ariel told Haaretz. "The official looks into it and tells the prime minister his impression. In at least one case, beyond those reported by Ma'ayan - a plan to build 171 housing units in Har Homa for the economically deprived - I know that the prime minister is delaying."

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