This puts the lie to Bibi’s support for an undivided Jerusalem. It is totally inconsistent with such a claim. It also puts the lie to everything Bibi is saying regarding building elsewhere in Jerusalem and in particular in E-1. Perhaps Bibi has obtained permission to build in areas that everyone agrees Israel will keep in exchange for Bibi agreeing not to build where Obama diagrees. Ted Belman
Rumors, leaks and hearsay have been replaced by an official document by a senior official admitting that political considerations have and will prevent Jewish construction in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Shimon HaTzaddik.
Plans for additional housing for Jews in the majority-Arab neighborhood (known in Arabic as Sheikh Jarrah) have become stalled, and a letter written by Yaniv Benita, Assistant to Interior Minister Eli Yishai, inadvertently explains why.
In the letter, Beinta claimed that construction in the neighborhood would not be carried out due to what he termed political prevention.
For a long time now, residents of the neighborhood have tried to attain permits to construct Jewish homes and buildings while at the same time Arabs in the neighborhood were given permits for their own construction.
Aryeh King, Director of the Israel Land Fund and a long-time activist in the effort to redeem land previously owned by Jews in Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem, claimed recently that someone in the Prime Minister’s Office was preventing the Jewish applications for building permits from seeking approval based on political considerations.
This was all speculative, until the letter proved him right.
In the letter, Benita wrote that he received plans for construction in the neighborhood, yet, “Unfortunately, based on political reasons, we are prevented from discussing this. When you receive relevant approvals, these plans will be raised by the District Committee for Planning and Construction.”
King, who ran for the 19th Knesset with Otzma LeYisrael, is hoping the letter will cause the next government to change its stance on construction in such neighborhoods which have been deemed frozen by the administration.
During the elections, King criticized Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, alleging that reports of approval of construction in Jerusalem were nothing but election-season spin.
“Netanyahu is running a campaign that places Jerusalem at the center of public discourse,” King explained to Arutz Sheva. “Bibi is trying to lie to the public and present a false picture in which he is building and widening the city, but in actuality, the facts are opposite.”
The Jewish part of Shimon Hatzaddik was reclaimed by Jewish families who held deeds to the homes their families had been kicked out of decades earlier.
In 1947, there were about 100 Jewish houses in the neighborhood. However, as a result of increasing Arab violence, the British ordered the residents to evacuate their homes in 1948.
NormanF Said:
Unfortunately, the Arabs don’t bother getting permits and build entire towns on stolen land while Pipi does nothing while razing Jewish homes with a sadistic obsession. One day he said that he won’t bulldoze Jewish homes and the next day he destroys more Jewish homes using backhoes. He is a master of using his forked tongue.
Israel’s bureaucracy only works against Jews while Arabs break the law with impunity. Some right wing the Lickud turned out to be, who needs leftists with their right wing?
I do not see why the shock and surprise.
Our group identified the speechster, master of the red marker for what he really is, long ago, and in this forum extensively. Netanyahu lies, misleads, sabotages, cheats and far worse gentlemen. It is not something he has started to do now but is his way of life ever since he crawled into politics.
His only goal is a Nobel and the money that goes with it.
I resigned from the Likud and its Central Committee over a year ago. I knew most of the plans of Netanyahu and associates. We expanded here on the subject. Yamit also provided excellent background information.
Netanyahu is the worst PM people could have ever selected.
The Judge Levi Report will never be approved.
FREEZE continues.
Destruction will advance. (Amona in a month or so).
Jerusalem will be divided and Har Habait lost.
Iran has been and will remain free to do as it pleases.
And slowly the truth is coming out on the economy as well.
ACTION or CORRECTIVE ACTION plans are well developed and should be considered before the whole true plans of the internal enemies come to be.
Bill’s comments are a breath of fresh air. There is so much intelligence among the regular contributors, but no focus on action. What’s needed is an uprising of those who voted Likud supported by others, to hold Bibi accountable for his pronouncements during the election. I too don’t see any explanation for this turn of events other than he is indeed a liar. If he is not, let him explain. Organize so you can call him to account. As someone said years ago: Every nation gets the government it deserves. That means, if you sit on your arses and just vent on Israpundit, you end up getting a Bibi or a Sharon.
Ted, you’re the only guy here doing more than talking!
It appears that between elections Israel is run by dictators with no transparency who can make the most far reaching decisions without consulting the citizenry or even telling them about their intentions. One never knows if Israeli leaders are merely responding to extortion and blackmail in relation to their corrupt activities. I believe that sharon, whose family was mired in scandal, may have been extorted into giving away gaza to protect his family. Apparently he is not in a coma. Every day another high ranking politician or govt employee is under corruption scandal(today its ashkenazi)
Its a letter from a minor official in the Interior Ministry.
Not exactly a smoking gun like Aryeh King claims.
The “political considerations” mentioned have less to do with the Arabs than with Israel’s notorious bureaucracy, in which it can take years to get any thing done.
Its a wonder anything in Israel gets built at all with the high taxes and red tape.
Bill Narvey Said:
bill, your entire comment is spot on. i am seeing EXACTLY what you are seeing,and what (i think) any other nationalist would see.
the ones who CARE, are battling amongst them for shades of grey instead of uniting against this calamity which stevie wonder would be able to see coming, from miles away…
and meanwhile the ‘intellectuals’ and the latte sipping crowd continue to nod in agreement…”yes, of course, we must give them more, m.o.r.e. , MORE!!!
What is the Knesset’s and the media’s reaction to this revelation? Are they focusing attention on it and if so are they supportive or critical of Netanyahu on the issue? What is the public’s reaction to this revelation?
Unless the media, Netanyahu’s new coaltion partners or the public on its own rise up against Netanyahu’s behind the scenes policy that has now surfaced for all to see, Netanyahu’s position, however surreptitiously and perhaps unscrupulously arrived at or arrived at due to U.S. pressure, will be validated.
It forewarns that Netanyahu is moving towards making more concessions to the Palestinians in return for empty or broken promises.
This revelation has the potential for great and worrisome implications and ramifications to the present and future security of Israel.
For those Israeli blog and political leaders who are against Netanyahu’s effectively blocking Jewish construction in Jerusalem while permitting Arab construction, can they come together to form an action organization and openly challenge Netanyahu on the issue in the court of public opinion?
Sam Goldblatt Said:
I thought Sarkozy learned that from us. Incidentally, what did Netanyahu lie to Sarkozy about? So far, no one knows.
Since then, Sarkozy is being chased by French police and prosecutors because of financial irregularities, to the point where his home has been raided by the police and he ran away in the summer to Canada to avoid prosecution. Here’s the latest on Sarkozy.
Great references you have there, Goldbutt.
Should have believed the French President Sarkozy a few years ago when he called Bibi a liar.
King Liar (in reference to Netanyahu, not to Aryeh, lehavdil)