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Construction in the Agan Ayelot neighborhood of Givat Zee'v. (Jini Archives)
Last update - 18:03 09/03/2008
PM okays 750 new settlement homes, says fits state policy
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent, and News Agencies
Tags: Housing Ministry, Ze'ev Boim 

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has approved the renewed construction of hundreds of an estimated 750 new homes in the West Bank settlement of Givat Ze'ev near Jerusalem, the Housing Ministry said Sunday.

The project approved for the Agan Ayelot neighborhood of Givat Ze'ev drew criticism from the Palestinian Authority over Israel's commitment to the peace process.

The prime minister's spokesman said the project was in line with the state's current policy on construction in existing settlements.
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"The project was approved by previous governments, and Olmert approved its resumption because it meshes with government policy," he said.

"It is consistent with our long-standing position that building within the large settlement blocs, which will stay a part of Israel in any final status agreement, will continue," Regev said. "Construction outside the settlement blocs has been frozen."

Boim said Sunday that, "The addition of hundreds of housing units is part of a policy aimed at meeting demand and keeping prices level, while
addressing the demographic needs of Jerusalem. I intend to continue and work towards this policy in order to strengthen Jerusalem."

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the decision to build new housing
in Givat Zeev raised doubts about Israel's commitment to peace talks.

"It seems to me the Israelis are determined to put a stick in the wheel of negotiations," he said. "It will undermine the U.S. effort to revive the negotiations."

He noted the decision came just days before a U.S. envoy, Lt. Gen. William Fraser III, arrives in the region for his first joint meeting with Israelis and Palestinians. President George W. Bush appointed Fraser in January to monitor implementation of the U.S.-backed road map peace plan - which among other things calls on Israel to freeze all settlement activity and the Palestinians to disarm militants.

The Housing Ministry and Israel Lands Administration (ILA) started marketing lots for the housing units in 1999, but stopped near the end of 2000 after the eruption of the Second Intifada.

As a result of high demand for the housing, along with the relative calm in the security situation, the contractors who had won tenders to develop the project had asked the Housing Ministry to allow them to renew construction.

Israel Radio reported that Shas, a key partner in the government coalition, had threatened to bolt the government unless the construction was approved.

Housing Minister Ze'ev Boim held numerous meetings regarding the contractors' request, including with Olmert. Following the Har Homa construction a few moths ago, Olmert had asked Boim to update him regarding similar projects, in order to make decisions and strategize how to explain them to the international community.

Olmert and Boim approved the renewal of construction in Givat Ze'ev, and in the first stage of the project 200 housing units will be built.


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      1.   What a Shmuk 14:19  |  Moshe 09/03/08
      2.   Anything goes, "to keep Shas onboard"! 14:22  |  Stephen. 09/03/08
      3.   Promises to Bush 14:53  |  Rick 09/03/08
      4.   Arab Housing 14:57  |  Dave Duncan 09/03/08
      5.   you better hurry then Saeb, the window is closing 15:00  |  Doc Holliday 09/03/08
      6.   God protect our soldiers 15:02  |  spade 09/03/08
      7.   3Doc Holliday,stealing other people`s land is not good for peace! 15:17  |  lakshmi 09/03/08
      8.   thank you Olmert 15:19  |  aj 09/03/08
      9.   Jerusalem should should not be divided. 15:19  |  Jean Van Daem 09/03/08
      10.   Pease 15:21  |  Iris 09/03/08
      11.   Still Haven`t Figured it Out 15:23  |  Abe 09/03/08
      12.   Israel was never serious about peace 15:38  |  Uncle Sammy 09/03/08
      13.   4 Takshami - whose land is it anyway? 15:40  |  S Judah 09/03/08
      14.   CONGRATULATIONS TO WEST. TO MEHMUD ABBAS TOO 15:43  |  JACKAL 09/03/08
      15.   The western world has to cut the oxygen to Israel 15:45  |  American 09/03/08
      16.   Olmert is mad to do this. 15:48  |  Leah123 09/03/08
      17.   More Housing for Israeli SQUATTERS, eh? 15:56  |  POP 09/03/08
      18.   Who wants peace? 15:59  |  ze`ev 09/03/08
      19.   750 MORE HOMES FOR ISRAELIS ON OCCUPIED LAND 16:02  |  Billclock 09/03/08
      20.   great 16:02  |  rm 09/03/08
      21.   Olmert: apologist, liar and zionist.. 16:05  |  Dutch Dirk 09/03/08
      22.   ISRAEL WILL ANNEX the territory west of the Jordan (#306) 16:06  |  Steve 09/03/08
      23.   Proper response to islamic terror! Build Build build 16:16  |  Elias 09/03/08
      24.   the day will come 16:16  |  mike 09/03/08
      25.   Mike 16:34  |  Edifice 09/03/08
      26.   Doing What Comes Naturally 16:39  |  DoubleClick 09/03/08
      27.   Saeb Erekat- the negotiator of Master terrorist Arafat 16:42  |  Jon 09/03/08
      28.   #12 Steve 16:42  |  Boycott 09/03/08
      29.   #7 Sammy- Israel never serious about giving into terrorist states 16:45  |  Jon 09/03/08
      30.   Lakshimi #4 16:51  |  Elias 09/03/08
      31.   It was approved by P[revious Governments 17:22  |  Labhras 09/03/08
      32.   anti-Semitic 17:24  |  Andras Bereny 09/03/08
      33.   Land theft 17:29  |  oliver masterman 09/03/08
      34.   # 13 S Judah in london 17:30  |  Labhras 09/03/08
      35.   #30 Elias 17:40  |  Labhras 09/03/08
      36.   No More Walls of Vienna 17:57  |  Robert 09/03/08
      37.   No More Walls of Vienna 17:57  |  Robert 09/03/08
      38.   Muzal Tov . 18:13  |  Akram Zekaria 09/03/08
      39.   Capitulation... 18:16  |  Esther 09/03/08
      40.   crime against the holly land 18:17  |  Muhamed Cohen 09/03/08
      41.   How do you say "Liebensraum" in hebrew ? 19:08  |  Igor 09/03/08
      42.   # 34 about # 13 19:28  |  fauna 09/03/08
      43.   #16 American ? 19:31  |  * BEN JABO 09/03/08
      44.   Rather than killing people..... 19:54  |  David James Vickery 09/03/08
      45.   more of the Jewish peace process 20:27  |  El-Birawi 09/03/08
      46.   What a load of crap 20:35  |  betz55 09/03/08
      47.   Saeb Erekat 21:20  |  George Bartlett 09/03/08
      48.   why all this babbling 21:25  |  john 09/03/08
      49.   This will bite back, big time 21:27  |  spyguy 09/03/08
      50.   How to weaken Abbas, how to strengthen Hamas? 21:37  |  Observer 09/03/08
      51.   To even the scores 21:53  |  El-Birawi 09/03/08
      52.   El Birawi 22:03  |  Dan 09/03/08
      53.   el birawi 22:28  |  Dan 09/03/08
      54.   RE: Billclock 22:43  |  Bob 09/03/08
      55.   RE: El-Birawi 22:47  |  Al 09/03/08
      56.   The "Dear George" letter 22:48  |  Mark Lincoln 09/03/08
      57.   Spyguy- There is not one Jew on the planet that you scare 22:58  |  Sam 09/03/08
      58.   what`s next 23:10  |  Guillaume 09/03/08
      59.   Accelerate the piece process with more Jewish settlement 23:15  |  Steve 09/03/08
      60.   Al the Jew, take a look at the numbers from Israel 23:54  |  El-Birawi 09/03/08
      61.   #7:lakshhmi your right, and nothing has been stloen 00:21  |  Doc Holliday 10/03/08
      62.   Good policy after the murder 00:22  |  abdul azziz higazi 10/03/08
      63.   To EL-Birawi 00:30  |  Abu Yusuf 10/03/08
      64.   Find a home for peace 00:33  |  Morris Valentine 10/03/08
      65.   Good. The more the better! 00:37  |  Jewish State 10/03/08
      66.   Does Israel want peace or a piece of Palestine 01:29  |  david 10/03/08
      67.   Not a good look, is it? 01:31  |  Johnboy 10/03/08
      68.   This is ridiculous 01:39  |  danny 10/03/08
      69.   #5 The Doc leaves his thinking cap behind. 01:48  |  Johnboy 10/03/08
      70.   addendub 02:12  |  david 10/03/08
      71.   BILLCOCK PLEASE ANSWER 02:12  |  TOBIA 10/03/08