An Israeli panel gave final approval on Wednesday for a housing project in Judea that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said last week “buries the idea of a Palestinian state.” The project involves the construction of about 3,400 housing units in the so-called E1 area of Ma’ale Adumim, located between Jerusalem and the currently built-up part of Ma’ale Adumim. Separately, the panel approved 342 units for a new neighborhood in the Jewish town of Asa’el, located some 11.5 miles south of Hebron.
The apartments will be constructed alongside public buildings and infrastructure. The Civil Administration’s Settlement Subcommittee “approved the construction of neighborhoods comprising 3,400 housing units in the E1 area—a top-tier Zionist and security move that ensures the strategic connection between Ma’ale Adumim and Jerusalem and secures the city’s future for generations,” Ma’ale Adumim Mayor Guy Yifrach said, according to public broadcaster Kan.
“This is a dramatic and significant step that strengthens the settlement project, deepens Israel’s hold in the heart of the land, and makes it clear to the entire world that Judea and Samaria are an inseparable part of the State of Israel. We commend Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for approving the plan,” said the Yesha Council, an umbrella organization of municipal councils of Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. (Read More)