Netanyahu's Jerusalem construction a stalling strategy
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is escalating the situation in East Jerusalem by announcing more construction plans that, even if not enacted, assure the stability of his right-wing coalition and head off talks with the Palestinians.
This time it was Israel TV Channel 2’s correspondent Amit Segal who provided the latest “scoop” about “new Jerusalem construction plans.” Segal reported Oct. 26 on the outcome of a dramatic meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Economy and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett. This was preceded by a series of reports about an ultimatum that Bennett’s HaBayit HaYehudi Party had presented Netanyahu with: construction in the settlements or demolition of the coalition.
Segal’s report was accompanied by an announcement from the prime minister’s office to diplomatic affairs correspondents regarding his intention to speed up the construction of 1,060 housing units in East Jerusalem, 2,000 in the West Bank and also several infrastructure projects there.
Peace organizations and human rights groups that assiduously monitor developments in East Jerusalem were poised to act. Foreign diplomats were quick to report to their respective capitals about the new spoke in the wheels of the “peace process,” which in any case is in a deep freeze. Spokespeople at the foreign ministries in Washington and Europe took out their standing orders to condemn construction in the settlements, which violates international law and runs counter to the spirit of peace. As expected, the Palestinian Authority was quick to declare the new construction plans as additional, damning evidence against the Israeli government, which keeps deepening its occupation while declaring its desire to end it.
It is no coincidence that the story was leaked, of all people, to Segal, who is well versed in the quagmire of party politics but is perhaps not familiar with planning and construction procedures. There was a reason the prime minister’s office deviated from its usual practice of issuing written statements about Netanyahu’s important decisions, and opted instead for telephone conversations with political correspondents (and not with correspondents who cover settlement issues).
