Yesha leaders are urging Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to end the de facto freeze on large-scale building projects in Judea and Samaria maintained over the last few years.
In a letter to Bennett, David Elhayani, the chairman of the Yesha Council, noted that five months have passed since any new housing permits were issued for Israeli towns in Judea and Samaria.
“Mr. Prime Minister, the Higher Planning Committee has not convened in the last five months to advance or permit housing plans in Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley,” Elhayani wrote. “We request that the residents of Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley not suffer or be discriminated against in any matter regarding the advancement of plans. There are many housing plans which have been waiting a long time for approval. Therefore, the Higher Planning Committee should be convened as soon as possible to advance them.”
Yes, the status quo maintained over the years permitting construction should resume immediately. Any delays to expand housing in Judea and Samaria – legally owned Israeli land – only hurts the residents who live there and there’s no reason for them to hold them in limbo.
Source:
Settlement leaders urge Bennett to end building freeze, by Arutz Sheva, June 18, 2021