T. Belman. I agree with the Mayor. Allowing the construction of 1000 units adjacent to Area B or A gives Israel more leeway on the rest of C. Also its answers the High Court which has been responsive to Arab arguments that building permits aren’t available to Arabs. This proves they are at very little cost to Israel. It also enables Israel to build 2000 units with less push back by the world.
By the way, when the Arabs complain that they are bursting at the seams and need more land to build, Israel tells them to build up (increase density) not out just as it does.
Finally, I don’t think those 1000 units will be build so quickly just as the 700 approved in 2018 weren’t built. The reason for this is that the Arab population in Area A, B and C has been declining due to emigration. so the demand isn’t really there. Yoram Ettinger tells me its closer to 1.5 million residents rather than 1.8 million as previously reported by him.
Actually 3200 units were approved by professional bodies but Bennett reduced it by 1000 so as to not anger the Biden Administration just before Bennett meets with Biden in DC. I disagree with this reduction. It shows weakness not strength. So what if it is angry.
Efrat Mayor responds to critics of the approval of housing units for Palestinian Arabs.
By Nitsan Keidar, INN Aug 13 , 2021 5:34 AM
Efrat Mayor Oded Revivi finds it difficult to understand the criticism of the approval of 1,000 housing units for Palestinian Arabs in Area C.
“We must remember that in the end we are waging a struggle in which we want to reach a decision in Area C and prove that we are the sovereign. The government takes a step and says: We decide where the Palestinians will build and when. And there are those who aren’t thinking and are coming out against it, instead of realizing that it is an act of demonstration of sovereignty,” Revivi told Arutz Sheva on Thursday.
“There is no doubt that there is a huge illegal construction by the Arabs in the entirety of Area C and we ask the state to wage a campaign against it, but it is impossible to wage a campaign without releasing some steam. When we do not allow Arabs to build at all, they build where they want, when they want, without any enforcement,” he added.
Revivi claimed that the decision provides a decisive response to the Palestinian Arabs. “Today, some of their claims to the nations of the world about illegal construction are that the State of Israel never allows them to build in any area. So here they are allowed to build a bit and I would also like an in-depth discussion to take place on where they are building in order to make it clear that it does not interfere with future Jewish settlement and does not interfere with existing ones, but I would not rule it out immediately.”
Turning to his fellow residents of Judea and Samaria who criticize the move, Revivi said, “I’m afraid there is some confusion and inconsistency in the messages. There was a time when they ran a campaign for Ma’ale Adumim first, Gush Etzion first, the Jordan Valley first and then when there was a Trump plan talking about sovereignty and they said it was not good because some areas were left out. We need to know how to accept what we have and see how to achieve more. If we say no to everything, we will end up with nothing.”
Peloni: Well said.
Edgar: Ha Ha. “Sentient Beasts.” That’s brilliant. And I especially find it amusing as I am a life-long Jubu, (Jewish Buddhist) of sorts, as I probably mentioned. A standard blessing is “May all sentient beings be happy, well and peaceful.” I love it. Sentient Beasts.
SEBASTIEN- I expected you would. We are nearly always in agreement…Why??
Because we are both intellgent enough to see that logic and commonsense, as well as memory of past horrifying unilateral massacres have put the local Arabs outside the Pale.
And who wants to share his home with sentient beasts.
@Sebastien
Good point. The state of Israel was founded with the establishment of citizens having the foundational freedom of worship, and free passage throughout the state, but this seems only to be expected or maintained in areas where Arabs are prevented from dominating their violent intolerance upon their Jewish cousins – the very Jews who are forever expected to further empower these radical factions to expand their intolerant realms of bigotry in the name of equity and faux justice. The example of the recent Flag parade is among many that could be noted ot demonstrate the validity of these statements. The calls to expand these stolen enclaves of devoid of basic freedoms does so to the detriment of all other citizens by permanently limiting the free expression of these inherent rights and freedoms from these land donatives to tyrannical control. The hypocrisy that was begun following the 1948 War has been maintained with an expectancy that dual relationship exists such that in Jewish controlled lands, Arabs are allowed freedom of worship, passage, and coexistence, while in Arab controlled lands Jews are forbidden to visit, emigrate or even remain following the establishment of Arab control. It is a violation of the fundamental freedoms that were established with the re-founding of the Jewish State that these bastions of violence and hatred are allowed to exist, much less expand.
And we have seen how useless guess work about future demographics is. It’s ironic, that yestersday, appeasers wanted to make concessions because they believed the Arab population would grow whike today they want to make concessions because they think it will shrink.
Moreover, Jews are not allowed to even visit Areas A, B or Gaza, so how is it fair for Arabs to be allowed to move into Area C? I seem to recall reading that was the answer given by the Yishuv leadership to criticisms of Jewish settlement before independence. It’s once again time to point.out the hypocrisy of tgose who claim to be for universal equality
Reader and Edgar – I agree with you.
Thanks, Edgar.
@Reader
Correction:
I meant to write “Final Solution” not “Final Decision”.
READER-
That’s a damned good post.
BEAR_ You obviously are referring to the article becaurse my post said the very same things as yours, but was much long, because I suggested a method.. .
We are on the same line here.
“Palestinians” really have no business being or building in Area C.
Anyone who permits them to build in Area C is giving away Judea and Samaria to the Arabs until it becomes an established ‘fact on the ground’ right before the “Final Decision” negotiations.
Yes, it is a demonstration of sovereignty, except they conveniently omit the word “Arab” before the word “sovereignty”.
The only thing that will save Israel now is a huge aliyah with the settlement of Judea and Samaria and “the periphery” but the Jews are asleep just like they were before the Holocaust.
All that the Jewish leadership can think about is “fighting antisemitism”, “recreating the Jewish life in Europe after the Holocaust”, fighting for everyone else’s human rights (especially for the rights of the “Palestinians”), and, of course, in Israel, about how to get more Americanized.
And saying “Next year in Jerusalem!” once a year after the Seder.
The truth is simpler it is a battle for land! So why give the Arabs land.
This guy sounds like a simpleton. He says that if we wouldn’t allow the Arabs to build, they would build where and when they like. A do-goodnik.
THere is a simple cure he never heard of……it’s called a BULLDOZER… There should be 3-4 units set up each with a couple of bulldozers, an engineer, for breakdowns, and 5-6 snipers to IMMEDIATELY destroy any illegal Arab sneak bulding. Have they no sense the Israelis… Too much sun softens the brain…
The above would keep Arab building down to NIL. If more units are needed, than insert more. We do NOT want Arabs building in Area C. And we should attend to it,,,’NOT just talk about it. Whilst Jews talk, Arabs build, and they get a bunch of cousins and friends and can put up a villa in about a week. I KNOW..I’ve seen them do it..
Some demonstration of “Sovereignty”……Ho Ho Ho.