Wednesday
May122010
Israel Analysis: The Expansion of Construction in Jerusalem
Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at 18:33 
Although Israel has not approved any new housing plans, the building of hundreds of apartments that were previously approved has proceeded since the crisis over Ramat Shlomo erupted in March.Cabinet Secretary Zvi Hauser said on Monday that construction of new housing for Jews in east Jerusalem will press forward. He told Army Radio:
Building is expected to begin soon in Har Homa....and Neve Yaakov, where (construction) bids have been issued. Building in Jerusalem is continuing according to its regular pace.
Israeli Cabinet Minister Dan Meridor said Israel could not accept a "discriminatory" policy that barred Jews from living in certain parts of the city. But he said "the policy of the government will try to be wise".
On Tuesday, in a telephone conversation with Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas, President Barack Obama pledged his commitment to the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state and vowed to hold both Israel and the Palestinians accountable if either side tookk actions that "undermine trust" during U.S.-mediated talks.
Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch on Wednesday said that Israel will demolish Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem in the coming days despite the renewal of indirect peace talks and added, "As of right now, there is no directive for police not to implement the demolition orders."
In a speech to mark Jerusalem Day, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue Israeli construction across the city. He said, "The struggle for Jerusalem is a struggle for truth." Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat added:
We will continue to build in all parts of Jerusalem. The promise of a future Jerusalem with a Jewish majority is a strategic mission for all of us.
Later, Netanyahu said Israel plans to prioritize Jerusalem over other areas. He continued:
Jerusalem" and its alternative Hebrew name "Zion" appear 850 times in the Old Testament, Judaism's core canon. As to how many times Jerusalem is mentioned in the holy scriptures of other faiths, I recommend you check.
There is no undercutting, nor do I intend to undercut, the connection of others to Jerusalem. But I do confront the attempt to undercut and warp or obfuscate the unique connection that we, the people of Israel, have to the capital of Israel.
Reader Comments (4)
Scott -
Any reaction by the Obama administration to the Israeli statements regarding continued construction? From the Palestians?
Bijan,
The relatively recent prominence in the main stream media of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem has distracted from the draconian policies determining the lives of Arab and Palestian Israeli citizens within Israel proper. I found an article by Jonathan Cooke examining these linked to from Juan Cole's blog, and it was quite an eye-opener. I am not sure, however, to what extent Israel can truly be considered an apartheid state in exactly the same way South Africa was. I think that is very much open to debate. But if you focus on the situations and policies Cooke describes, especially within Israel proper, those we more often hear about in reports on the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, and which the Obama administration had tried to make a fuss about, are (tragically) quite consistent and logical, and nothing anyone should be surprised at. http://www.counterpunch.org/cook04262010.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.counterpunch.org/cook04262010.html
Have you read Jimmy Carter's book?..."Palestine: Peace Not Aparthied". Was
a similar eye opener for me. This article repeats, as I recall, several
points made in this article. Thank you for sharing the article.
Bijan,
I had forgotten that in the title of the book was Peace Not Aparthied!! No I haven't read it but I saw several interviews with Carter about what he says in the book. I guess reading is better for retention, though :-).