What is going on here. He kills planning tenders one day and the next day he says building will continue. He could have just said the tenders were for planning only and not construction. Ted Belman
By HERB KEINON, LAHAV HARKOV, JPOST
A day after forcing the Construction and Housing Ministry to “reconsider” preliminary work toward building 24,000 housing units beyond the Green Line, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that building in settlements would continue, but had to be done wisely.
“In recent months, we built thousands of homes in Judea and Samaria, and in the coming months we plan to build thousands more,” Netanyahu said in a Knesset debate on housing prices. “It was never easy, but we did it responsibly despite international pressure.”
However, he said – in an apparent criticism of Construction and Housing Minister Uri Ariel’s decision to ask for the preparatory work needed long before issuing tenders for homes in the West Bank – “there’s no point in creating friction with the international community over theoretical potential and plans that aren’t applicable.”
“At the moment, there’s no point in wasting resources, energy and political capital on something that won’t have a real result. That hurts settlements.
We need to fight for real, true, practical things and not things that create unnecessary tension with the international community that can hurt our fight against Iran,” he added.
After coming under intense pressure, Netanyahu late Tuesday night directed Ariel to reconsider the move – including hiring an architect to plan in detail a new neighborhood in the area known as “E1,” linking Ma’aleh Adumim to Jerusalem – because of a desire not to deflect attention from efforts to reach a better deal with Iran.
Ariel’s plans, had they been allowed to stand, would likely have complicated ties with the US, France, Germany and Britain at time when Jerusalem was pushing those countries to take a tougher stand in their talks with Iran.
Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz, however, denied that Netanyahu had with his own hands created a link – long denied by Jerusalem – between the settlement issue and efforts to stop Iran from getting nuclear arms.
“There is no linkage,” he said.
“What Netanyahu is speaking about is not real linkage. What he says is that we shouldn’t allow ourselves to focus now on other issues, because we have very limited time to do our best to convince the world not to sign on this bad deal, or at least to dramatically improve it.”
One government official said that Netanyahu stepped in on this matter because he “wants everyone to understand that we are in a challenging period, and that in this complex international environment policy makers must act with prudence and caution.”
Once Netanyahu issued the statement about his instructions to Ariel, pressure about the matter faded immediately, the official said.
Ariel, meanwhile, said on Channel 2 that “there were no [building] tenders, no construction and no reprimand.”
He said what was being discussed was preparing for planning of units that – in the most optimistic scenario – were six or seven years from even “one of them” being built.
Ariel said Netanyahu, whom he met both Tuesday and again on Wednesday, explained to him the sensitivity of the situation with Iran, and request he be “sensitive and act accordingly.”
Opposition leader Shelly Yacimovich (Labor), speaking in the Knesset, called the government “all talk,” but commended Ariel for being the one minister who gets things done.
“I know him. He’s going to really build in the settlements – in the middle of a crisis in our relations with the US, in the middle of what appears to [the government] pretending to negotiate with the Palestinians,” she emphasized.
Yacimovich said she doesn’t buy reports that Netanyahu was angry at Ariel for distracting world attention from Iran when his representative in peace talks, Yitzhak Molcho, is arguing with Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and US Secretary of State John Kerry has warned that keeping the status quo will bring a third Intifada.
In the Knesset debate, MK Moshe Feiglin (Likud) and Deputy Transportation Minister Tzipi Hotovely suggested construction in the West Bank as a solution for rising housing prices.
Meanwhile, the Knesset Economics Committee on Wednesday approved an additional NIS 50.5 million for the local authorities in Judea and Samaria, of which NIS 10m. are to be spent on security and NIS 4.5m. on development.
The remaining NIS 36.5m. are reimbursement funds for money the local authorities lost in fees and other construction related revenues during the 10 month moratorium on housing starts in Judea and Samaria that ran from November 2009 to September 2010. The moratorium froze projects on which construction was about to begin and for which contractors would then have paid fees to the local authorities.
The absence of these fees effectively cut the budget of the authorities during those months. These funds are to make up for that shortfall.
According to Yigal Delmonti, the spokesman for the Jewish Communities of Judea and Samaria, the vote was technical and followed Knesset approval for the transfer.
Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report.
CuriousAmerican Said:
A government won’t tell a public every benefits it might have received or potentially may receive through its bilateral or/and multilateral relations/negotiations in an untimely fashion.
Unless you have accessibility to all of the discussions that led to the actions taken by BB, what ever you say is simply presumptuous.
If BB were getting something in return, this would make sense. An attack on Iran for example.
But the Paletinians got their prisoners.
The Jews have had their housing stopped.
And Obama has eased sanctions.
This makes no sense.
The comments I see on this website are unfair against BB. What we should understand is the fact that governing a democratic country like Israel in this extremely hostile environments and a lot of antisemitism around the globe is a very difficult task that requires extreme caution in order to have more friends to deal with Iran. He doesn’t have to have additional headaches regarding housing constructions before the outcome of a negotiation with Iran is known. Why give a chance to Israel’s enemies to carry out a propaganda in order to divert attention from the critical negotiations with Iran?
mar55 Said:
this trend goes far back before this president. These kind of policies and trends are promoted by both parties because ownership of both parties is by the same interests. Yamit has a very good link in his post 13 regarding details of the agreement. CIA factbook on US economy states that “since 1975 80% of gains went to top 20% of population”. Put that together with the massive export of jobs, production and capital to asia starting in 1980 and we can see the real reason for the broken economy. The massive personal and corporate lootings were icing on the cake. There is no incentive for corporations to focus on the US market once the Chinese become a consumer driven economy of 1.5 billion. We are forever made to compete like circus dogs through hoops. In the US the corporations have the worker competing against a flood of immigrants. Multi national corporations made the american consumer and worker fund the asian miracle so they could escape the grip of local govt and operate permanently internationally. The wealth of the top 1% is in those corporations that tick the money clock every time you wipe your bottom; massive profits made on every basic life action, food, shelter, health,clothes, energy,etc. Their tongues are drooling in anticipation of 1.5 billion more consumers. The US consumer will become a pittance for them. The energy boom will not go to the population: when lpg export facilites are online we will see a massive export of gas to japan and europe for higher prices:2016. US prices will go up instead of down.
@ bernard ross:
There is no need for extensive analysis. Netanyahu was always identified with his present days actions. He has the worst record of all PM’s in construction and identification with Jews and Eretz Israel. He contributed to and voted for “disengagement”. (except on one stunt vote after all was set to go). He willingly abandoned Hebron, destroyed hundred of Jewish homes, farms, industries, schools, Synagogues… He allocated Carl Gustav’s special rifles to the Araft gangs. Lied consistently about “construction”. Misled and betrayed one and all on just about everything.
And also… Netanyahu intentionally allowed Iran to complete its nuclear program. He had many chances to clip that one from way back and did not do it.
Only blind self destructive people would allow such garbage to govern.
yamit82 Said:
its the sort of thing you could expect from deception.
yamit82 Said:
A Behind-Closed-Doors Deal for the 1% It looks like the 1% will maintain their multi generational control through shares and corporate control. The age of control through rule and passing control through monarchy is over.
We are entering a world where true fascism is possible because technology can control how everything appears. Soros and scytl voting machines are a good example; all elections can appear to be close. People will think they have free elections,politicians, media, justice system all bought like today; the population will be kept distracted through manufactured crisis and resolutions; rich will get richer poor, will get cellphones. The age of popular uprising will become impossible because they will know everything before it starts.
everything in your post 14 makes sense.
bernard ross Said:
Not since the ink was dried on our declaration of Independence in 1948 has Israel not been in a challenging period. Israeli politicians always have used that excuse to cover their own perfidious behavior and especially when they make cowardly deals that the majority of the public opposes.
First they make the bad deals then use the deals to justify the inability to renege on them when their is stiff opposition. “What will the Goyim say if we do not accept a done deal?”
The way to stop them is before they agree not afterwards. Problem is there is usually no transparency before the deed and after they agree they have demanded and always received a rubber tamp approval by the lemmings in the Knesset and the media.
Sharon cynically derided his opposition as “It’s good to be a minister in the government”… meaning for that elevated position his opposition will eat any shit handed to them rather than to be forced to quit the government. This is true not only for Israeli politicians but is a universal norm.
@ bernard ross:
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)
The Trans-Pacific Partnership Free Trade Agreement: NAFTA for the Pacific Rim?
Read CTC’s Most Current Fact Sheets
@ bernard ross:
It will never pass a referendum and internal opposition within the Likud/Betenu will invoke a palace revolt to block BB. Don’t see anything in it for Israel except the American stamp of approval. Who will pay the bill for ejected settlers?
I believe that this is what Kerry is proposing or demanding I don’t see BB agreeing to it, not even BB would be so weak and stupid. Sounds like a balloon offered to pressure BB and to gauge public and political reaction in Israel.
That said, it could be that the two proposed towns in the Negev are being planned to absorb Y&S refugees?
unrelated but: see how the world will be run by corporations
WIKILEAKS REVEALS SECRET TRANS-PACIFIC TRADE DEAL Obama wants to push plan through Congress in December
http://www.wnd.com/2013/11/wikileaks-reveals-secret-trans-pacific-trade-deal/#j7IymlHZl8GgtgPd.99
Kerry to Israel: International forces will protect you
read how BB plans to give everything to the pals
http://www.wnd.com/2013/11/kerry-to-israel-international-forces-will-protect-you/#Bb7pPIBZdvE8rmSH.99
Palestinian seminars advance uprisings as alternative to Hamas ‘armed resistance’
http://www.worldtribune.com/2013/11/14/palestinian-seminars-advance-uprisings-as-alternative-to-hamas-armed-resistance/
Israel facilitating patrols by Palestinian police in lawless areas
http://www.worldtribune.com/2013/11/14/israel-facilitating-patrols-by-palestinian-police-in-lawless-areas/
this appears to be the perennial excuse to bury jewish rights, I think sharon said the same.
translation = they are threatening, blackmailing and extorting the jews as in the past.
Baloney, if there is no linkage there is no reason to do what BB does.
CuriousAmerican Said:
many on the right predicted that his pre election E1 announcement and and his Weinstein/Levy report meeting were election ploys which would be rescinded after the election. Perhaps the right were right. I hope they were wrong.
CuriousAmerican Said:
I agree
LOL I guess that means Kerry as SOS is a blessing in disguise.
CuriousAmerican Said:
The good news is that Kerry is so incompetent he’s actually making the case for stronger sanctions on Iran. Kerry’s rush to get a deal at any price has boomeranged on him and the Administration.
That turn around shocked even me.
If Obama promised him stronger Iranian sanctions in return for restraint on housing, Netanyahu has placed his faith in an unreliable man.
For Netanyahu – its all talk.
He thinks Israeli voters are stupid so he can buy them off with empty promises.
Nothing is going to be built and he will never run of out of excuses to prevent, delay and postpone Jewish construction in Judea and Samaria.