Israeli legislators keep low profile on East Jerusalem construction plans
Most leftist legislators did not react publicly to reports over the government advancing plans for Jewish construction in East Jerusalem neighborhoods.
Jerusalem’s Planning and Construction Committee approved Oct. 13 the expropriation of land across the Green Line for the construction of new residential complexes in East Jerusalem. These complexes are slated to contain tens of thousands of new housing units.
According to information appearing in Israeli media, most of the land slated for new construction is in an area on or adjacent to the Givat HaMatos neighborhood. In 1991, Israel built on the Givat HaMatos site a caravan neighborhood for Ethiopian immigrants. But for the past 15 years, Israeli authorities have been promoting controversial plans to construct a permanent neighborhood there. On top of the expropriation, the committee approved the advancement of a plan to expand the existing East Jerusalem neighborhood of Pisgat Ze’ev. Next week, the committee is set to discuss objections submitted against the construction of a new settlement neighborhood in the controversial E1 zone. A few weeks later, it will discuss plans for housing units in Atarot. Like Givat HaMatos, Atarot is yet to be constructed.
