Beit Romano, Kiryat Arba, Hebron
(Photo: Jewish Press)
Israeli media reports are stating that permits are being issued for the construction of approximately 4,000 new housing units within Judea and Samaria. if so, it’s about time, as real growth within Israel’s heartland has been stymied for so many years.
This spurt in growth could be part of the “Trump effect”, an understanding between Israel and the US that “settlements” are not a “barrier to peace”, and that Jews have a right to live throughout the Land of Israel.
Of course, Trump’s newly-stated position that the US embassy will not be moved to Jerusalem until the “peace process” is given another run on the hamster wheel, is frustrating, to say the least. And, the number of new housing units to be authorized barely addresses the real needs of the population. However, it is perhaps indicative that the Obama era is finally over and we could look forward with cautious optimism to real growth throughout the Land of Israel.