Jerusalem puts two construction plans on hold in wake of U.S. row
Legal adviser to Jerusalem municipality suspends plans citing neighborhoods' sensitive location.
By Akiva Eldar Tags: Israel settlements East Jerusalem Israel newsPlans to build two new residential neighborhoods for Jews in East Jerusalem were put on hold last week on the instructions of the legal adviser to the Jerusalem municipality, Haaretz has learned.
The adviser, Yossi Havilio, wrote to Deputy Mayor Yosef (Pepe) Alalo last week informing him that he had instructed the architectural firm involved in the project to suspend planning, given the neighborhoods' sensitive location and the wider repercussions that construction there could bring.
Havilio wrote that to avoid suspicions of a conflict of interest, the architectural firm run by Eli Reches - a partner of city engineer Shlomo Eshkol until 2007 - must no longer be involved in the plan.
Havilio has also begun to reconsider the approval granted to Reches' office to plan a new residential project in the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood, the announcement of which led Israel into a diplomatic row with the United States earlier this month.
Last week Haaretz reported that the Interior Ministry's Jerusalem district planning committee voted in June 2008 to decline the request to zone the area for residential buildings. Eshkol was absent from that meeting in an effort to avoid appearances of a conflict of interest, but when informed of the decision, angrily ordered municipal officials and the supervisor of the city's master plan to leave the room.
At a meeting two weeks ago, the committee changed its earlier decision and adopted the recommendation of the city engineer's office to change the area's zoning from that of a green space (as laid out in the master plan) to a residential area.
Eshkol's contract with the municipality stated that "In any instance in which the planning committee, and/or the legal adviser to the municipality, believes the plan has broad implications - and the city engineer cannot be left out of setting a position - Reches' firm will not be involved with the program."
The Jerusalem municipality said in response that since entering office, Eshkol was not involved in any meetings or consultations on the Ramat Shlomo plan.
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Building in East Jerusalem. |
| Photo by: (AP) |
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Rob, your posting is thoroughly ignorant. How can you compare football to oranges, they are both spherical, but that is where the similarity ends.
or such mixed communities as Naples, Fla and many of the kind? Or how many WASP in Harlem or the Bronx, NY?
It is mixed housing. There are no legal restrictions stopping Arabs from living in largely Jewish areas (in fact thousands do http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=8502320) or Jews from living in largely Arab areas. The trouble is that there tend to be poor relations between the different communities in some of the places where the communities are mixed.
everyone should just live in gated communities eh? just like in America... If that aint segregation then i dont know what is... Oh and since when can a non-catholic go to a catholic school? thats certainly discrimination if you ask me... How about this... Israel will give up east Jerusalem when the Arabs give us back Medina...
In America, everyone lives together regardless of religion, ethnicity, or gender. We don't have a Catholic state, or a Jewish state, a Muslime state, a Baptist state, a Methodist state, a Mormon state, a Lutheran state....anyone begin to get my drift?
Actually Barry, I'm from dallas. Israel declared their borders in May of 1948 and Jerusalem was not in their declaration. Jerusalem was to become an international city. Therefore it is illegal for Israel or the Palestinians for that matter to claim it as part of their country. It is illegal to keep land by conquest. Israel signed the treaty agreeing to this principle. Is Israels word not to be trusted? Israel also agreed to allow the refugees to return to their homes as a condition of their admittance to the UN. Is Israels word not to be trusted? Israel signed the "Road Map" agreeing NOT to build any new settlements. Is Israels word not to be trusted? I guess not. Who would trust Israel now? Certainly not The US.
Jerusalem Is occupied? By whom? The Jordanians used to occupy it, but they gave up all claims to it. The Palestinians want it, but Israel has it. Just because the world decides it's illegal doesn't make it any less legal than the home occupied by John the American. Maybe John lives in Mexico? Maybe Maureen lives on the plot of land of an Aborigine? At least the Israelis live on land that used to theirs!
I have always said it is Jews of Conscience, like yourself that will cause Israel to change for the better.
Israel is sucking the US dry. 20 million dollars a day. Thats what Israel gets! Now Israels wants the US to give them the means to attack Iran. Well, thats not going to happen. Attacking Iran is not in the strategic interrests of the US. Israel won't even stop the ILLEGAL construction in Jerusalem. Let Israel conform to International law, let them abide by their signed agreements. When they begin to live up to their obligations we can talk about friendship. Israel, not Iran puts the world at risk.
Jewish housing, Arab housing, Beduin housing, Russian neighbourhoods, Ethiopian neighbourhoods. Please! Are they just ghettos? Enough already. Build affordable housing and let anyone who can do so live there. That's democracy.
1.The most urgent question which when answered correctly mends everything and resolves all other disputes, stalemates, quagmires and deep holes follows. 2.Is the God we trust in the dollar the same as the God of the Jews, the God of the Evangelicals, the God of the Catholics and the God of other religions? Or, is this DIVIDED GOD in fact the illusive devil in disguise? 3.Since we are being considered infidels, big satan, small satan, children of adulterers, etc., we should make it the top priority to identify the true Satan and The One True God. 4.Only one scientific Formula catches the TWO BIG FISH, i.e., satan and the One True God. 5.This Divine Formula comes from a small shepherd boy with the Moshiachs Meal of FIVE LOAVES. 6.Finding the small boy should also be a top priority.
For too long Israel has been able to get away with a cruel occupation without answering to anyone. Why should Iran, Russia, China or anyone else for that matter, follow anyone's rules when Israel is getting away with all manner of rogue state behavior? Double standards can no longer be allowed to prevail.
then we and you might understand what you mean
but Israel. Iran does whatever they want, Russia practically laughing at US, China disregards Clinton's complaints. If Israel will immediately react to unjust, and insulting demands by Clinton then Israel is finished. It will become a practice of Obama's administration to threaten, command and treat Israel as a subservient state. Friends must be treated on even kilt and not by demands and dissension.
Yeshiva world reporting business as usual and many things going forward.