The United States is against the easing of building restrictions in Judea and Samaria approved by the government on Sunday, as well as against the thousands of building permits that will be issued later this week.
A State Department spokesman said, "The United States is deeply troubled by the Israeli government's decision to advance the planning of more than 4,000 settlement units in the West Bank. We are similarly concerned by reports of changes in Israel's settlement administration system that expedite settlement planning and approval. As a longstanding policy, the United States opposes such unilateral actions that make it difficult to achieve a two-state solution and are an obstacle to peace. We call on the Israeli government to fulfill the commitments it received in Aqaba, Jordan and Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt and return to dialogue aimed at escalation."
Thousands of new approvals are planned. Construction in Judea and Samaria, Photo: Yossi Zeliger
A draft decision approved yesterday by the government stipulated that the number of permits granted for construction in Judea and Samaria would be reduced from five to only two. In addition, responsibility after the first political approval will be in the hands of Minister Smotrich and not Defense Minister Galant, as has been the case until now.
In the agenda plan for the meeting of the Supreme Planning Council, which was published yesterday, building permits are planned for a large scale of 4,560 housing units in many communities in Judea and Samaria. Construction of hundreds of units in Neve Tzuf and Ali, hundreds of units in Givat Ze'ev as well as in Beitar Ilit, 340 housing units in Ma'ale Adumim, 381 in Rabava, 343 in Elkana, 287 in Adora and 196 apartments in Telam.
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