The Ministry of Construction and Housing is not the only agency establishing faits accomplis. Sources inform ''Globes'' that the Israel Land Authority has decided to finance the planning of tens of thousands of housing units in Judea and Samaria. A meeting of the Israel Land Authority Subcommittee for Planning Authorizations in late October decided on the planning of tens of thousands of housing units beyond the Green Line, including in the settlements Nokdim, Alei Zahav, Neve Daniel, Alon, and Kedumim.
The meeting decided that at Nokdim (where Minister of Foreign Affairs Avigdor Liberman lives), the Israel Land Authority will help fund the planning of 2,000 housing units together with the Gush Etzion Regional Council, where the settlement is located. 700 apartments are due to be built in another Gush Etzion settlement, Kfar Eldad. The total built-up space planned in the two settlements is 500,000 square meters. During the meeting, it was noted that the planning began in the master plan from 2000, but never reached the stage of detailed plans. The Israel Land Authority is now seeking to resume the planning process.
The meeting also discussed the planning of 550 180-square meter homes on 300 dunam (75 acres) in Alei Zahav (named for the wife of the late Prime Minister Menachem Begin, Aliza), located in the Shomron Regional Council. Including public institutions, the built-up space will total 132,000 square meters.
It seems that the two agencies are afraid of the reaction of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and MKs, after last week's report that the Ministry of Housing had published tenders for the construction of 20,000 housing units in Judea and Samaria, including in the settlements of Efrat and Tekoa, as well as 4,000 housing units in east Jerusalem and in the E1 area between the city and Ma'aleh Adumim.
Following the public storm in Israel and overseas that the report caused, Netanyahu ordered Minister of Housing Uri Ariel to stop the tenders. Netanyahu said, "This measure contributes nothing to the settlements effort. It is a measure without legal or practical standing, which creates unnecessary conflict with the international community."
The Israel Land Authority said, "The Israel Land Authority is not promoting planning in Judea and Samaria. Pursuant to the policy set by the Israel Land Authority Council a few years ago, the Authority participates in the financing of planning costs of local authorities on state land in order to encourage local authorities to promote independent planning on state land."
The Ministry of Housing said that queries should be directed to the Israel Land Authority.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on November 19, 2013
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2013