Israel’s Defense Ministry approved the construction of 153 new homes in West Bank settlements, after two years in which little new construction was given the green light in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, according to a report released Monday, January 25.
The construction plans, approved by a planning committee inside the Civil Administration which oversees the West Bank, include housing units in several settlements outside Hebron, and the retroactive approval (i.e., granting licenses for structures previously built without them) for homes in Rehelim, outside Nablus, according to Haaretz. According to the paper, the approvals were granted last week.
Demolition of an Arab House in Taibe, January 24, 2016 (Photo: Al Ittihad)
Joint List MK Aida Touma-Sliman (Hadash) questioned the government’s reported decision to approve construction of the new homes, while carrying out what was increased enforcement of demolition orders against illegal structures (i.e., built without licenses) in Arab communities in Israel. “In Taibe they’re destroying homes and in the settlements they’re building,” she complained. “While the Netanyahu government continues the policy of destroying the homes of Arab citizens, it approves the construction of housing units for settlers who are living on occupied land.”
A home demolition carried out in Taibe, on Sunday, January 24, sparked outrage among the Arab citizens of Israel. Hundreds of residents protested, in the mosques they were called upon to set out to site of the demolition – and police fired stun grenades at the mass congregations. Joint List leader MK Ayman Odeh (Hadash), held Prime Minister President Benjamin Netanyahu personally responsible for the demolition and its consequences. He had previously proposed a freeze on all demolition orders during the current year and, in exchange, the Arab leadership would commit itself not to support any Arab citizen who builds a house without a license. Netanyahu had promised to consider the proposal, but in the end he responded with bulldozers.
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