West Bank settlement lays groundwork for new neighborhood
Despite talk over settlements freeze, Betar Ilit constructing housing units outside built-up area of the town.
By Amos Harel and Haaretz Editorial Tags: Ehud Barak Israel settlements Israel newsAs Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to meet U.S. President Barack Obama and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas Tuesday in New York, workers in the West Bank settlement of Betar Ilit will continue what they've been doing for the last few weeks: laying the groundwork for new homes.
Despite talk over a construction freeze in West Bank settlement in ultra-Orthodox Betar Ilit, south of Jerusalem, in recent weeks infrastructure work began in advance of what appears to be the creation of a new neighborhood. While the construction site falls within the municipal boundaries of the settlement, it is on a hill outside the current built-up area of the town.
It appears that at least several dozen housing units are to be built on the site.
The site does not appear on the list of 455 housing units that Defense Minister Ehud Barak reported giving approval for two weeks ago, as a last step before the implementation of new understandings on a construction freeze.
The fact that the hill is outside the perimeter of existing buildings runs contrary to the Israeli contention that construction is being performed within the existing built-up areas.
More than 35,000 residents currently live in Betar Ilit, making it one of the largest settlements, along with Modi'in Ilit - also an Ultra-orthodox settlement just over the Green Line. Betar Ilit also has the highest growth rate of any settlement.
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It was PROMISED to MOSES the Land I give YOU, is MY COVENANT with you to introduce the gentiles to my LAW. As the the Stars above and as the grains of sand on the beaches YOUR people will multiply AS I HAVE SAID. BUILD BUILD and BUILD until there is no land left. This Land is, was and will always be HEBREW LAND EVERYWHERE in the borders of ISRAEL.
houses are used by Israel as weapons of conquest
What makes you think the settlers even desire peace? It would spoil their game, wouldn't it?
You wrote: "How long Can we take land, humiliate the masses and expect peace????" You should have written: "We must keep on taking land and humiliating the masses until they realize they have been decisively defeated. Only then will there be peace."
Demanding that towns and cities stop building homes and schools just because their residents are Jewish is pure racism. It's a shame the government even considered complying with such an outrageous demand. Not just a shame ideologically, but a shame because it negates the only motivation the Palestinians have to make peace sooner rather than later.
New area being built Taken to long Start more areas for the future of Israel
Can we take land, humiliate the masses and expect peace????