Plans for new homes in Judea and Samaria settlements were advanced at a faster pace in the first three months of 2016 than in the previous year, according to Peace Now.
It based its statement on data it collected from the records of the High Planning Council for Judea and Samaria for both years.
In the first three months of this year plans were advanced for 499 new units in West Bank settlements. This made up 72% of the plans for 621 new settlers homes that were advanced in all of 2015. In the first quarter of 2015, plans were advanced for only 115 new units, only 23% of the number of homes for which plans were advanced in the first three months of 2016.
The same pattern appeared when it came to the retroactive authorization of illegal homes in West Bank settlements. In many cases these were homes that were built without the proper planning process and they are only now coming before the council to be permitted.
The number of retroactive legalizations — 175 — was higher in the first quarter of 2016, than in the first three months of last year when only 79 illegal homes were authorized. Overall, in 2015, 1,044 illegal homes were retroactively authorized, according to Peace Now.
The plans were advanced at three different meetings of the High Planning Council for Judea and Samaria in January, February and March.
The number of new homes for 11 different settlements detailed in the plans are as follows; Etz Efraim (34), Rechalim (36), Alon Shvut (60), Ofarim (30), Rotem (164), Oranit (24), Alfei Menashe (24), Tene (7), Kiryat Arba (24), Ma’aleh Adumim (46) and Talmon (50).
Five of the communities are considered to be “isolated settlements” because they are located in areas of the West Bank that are outside the boundaries of the security barrier.
Hagit Ofran of Peace Now said the numbers show that the supposed “freeze” in planning, was “not a freeze at all. Quietly and behind the scenes, West Bank construction is being promoted, including in isolated settlements,” Ofran said.
“This distances us from the possibility of a two-state solution,” Ofran added.
But Yigal Dilmoni, the deputy head of the Council of Jewish Communities of Judea and Samaria, said that the 499 number is small in comparison to the real needs of their communities. The council should be advancing plans for thousands of new homes, not hundreds, he said.
Such construction, particularly in the city of Ariel, would help fix the housing shortage, particularly in the center of the country, Dilmoni said.
In addition, he added, the plans that were advanced were old ones, which in some cases have been expanded. “There is very little that is new here,” he said.
Data on the actual number of housing starts and completions for the first quarter of 2016 are not due from the Central Bureau of Statistics until May or June.
But CBS data form 2015 showed that housing starts in West Bank settlements rose by 26% in 2015, when compared to the previous year. Housing finishes in in the settlements year went up by 25% when compared to 2015.
The spike was due in large part to increased building in the five largest West Bank settlements; Mod’in Illit, Beitar Illit, Ma’aleh Adumim, Ariel and Givat Ze’ev. Building in these five communities made up 48% of the starts and 55% of the completions in West Bank settlements in 2015.
Settlement activity is one of the hot button issues when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Palestinians insist that it is a stumbling bloc to the peace process. Israel dismisses that claim and argues that the peace process would move forward if only the Palestinians would return to the negotiating table.
Just last month the United Nations Human Rights Council passes a resolution that condemned settlement activity and mandated the creation of a data base for all companies located in those communities and or who do business with them.
The Palestinians are in the process of preparing a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning West Bank settlement activity.
If only.
Partial List Of Those With More Credibility Than Peace Now
the reason why jews are being stabbed and murdered throughout the world is due to the dissemination of lies about Israel. the prime responsibility for these lies rests with the gov of Israel because every day with his refusal to declare Jews in YS legal and legitimate he reinforces the blood libels and canards killing jews everywhere. Adding together the chorus of those chanting the lies which includes orthodox jews, secular leftists, the gov of Israel I cannot see how anyone outside of Israel would not support these lies. As long as the GOI supports the lies of Jewish illegal and illegitimate settlement one should not expect anything more positive from the rest of the world. It is not possible to eternally counter the arguments of the defamers when they are Jews from every walk of life. The responsibility for the murders of jews rests with jews. There is no greater legitimacy given to the lies of the Jew killers than the legitimacy granted by the religious, secular Jews and government of Israel. Jewish Israel collaboration in the project to destroy Israel is the prime nail in the coffin. Diaspora Jews and the world only reflect Israelis like a mirror. In fact, Israelis are even worse in their anti semitic blood libels against Israel.
I agree with this principle whole heartedly, but is the advocation for unity or for ending criticism of the BB Yaalon temple Mount, Duma and soldier criminal and disunifying behaviors?
Sorry, its not about getting what we want… its about very specific criminal, unethical behaviors commited by BB, Yaalon, Erdan and rivlin. Its disingenuous to call for unity when one is really just calling to end criticism of criminal AND disunifying behavior at the top.
that is correct, so why is BB and Yaalon conducting this war against dissenters, settlers and nationalists?
it is not the “stance” but the specific criminal behavior that needs addressing. Pretending it is a debate about policy and stance is dishonest…. specific criminal behavior was engaged in by Yaalon which is worthy of investigation and indictment.
this is the usual excuse trotted out every time that BB and yaalon engage in anti jewish, anti nationalist, anti settler, anti YS.. behavior. they do this by having the media speculate on anonymous “leaks” which pretend there are other reasons for their transparent behaviors.
Since when was it legal or moral for a minister or prime minister to engage in criminal behavior in order to appear to propagating moral precepts? Since when was it moral and legal to falsely accuse, deprive basic rights, obstruct justice and due process… make sacrifices of soldiers….. the “moral norms” are a red herring submitted as a fig leaf from hypocrites and criminals.
Is Yogev joking? What did he learn from the defense minister about “soldiers being stuck in complicated situations” other than Yaalon put them there by doing the opposite of “strongly supporting our soldiers”?
Those engaged in criminal and immoral behavior are trotting out every absurdity to cover up their crimes and immoral behavior. Yogev should instead, in order to support the soldiers and restore unity, call for an investigation and indictment of those who are engaging in the most immoral criminal behavior at the top rather than being an apologist for their continuing, serial crimes.
all of this conversation would be moot if Netanyahu stated:
“JEWISH SETTLEMENT IN YS IS LEGAL AND LEGITIMATE”
it is because he infers the opposite that the discussion exists, if it is legal and legitimate there is nothing to be gained from publishing these figures and having these discussions. even better were it to be encouraged and facilitated as the goyim said at the LON mandate. It takes the Jews to turn it topsy turvy.
like this low life POS:
orthodox and lived in Israel, in fact it is in Israel that he was radicalized against Israel. For those that think the answer is in relgion or the problem in the diaspora, think again.
Its Jews like this that make me feel that I should get away from the Jews as quickly as possible because they will send the Jews to the ovens. Between these “religious Jews”, the leftist Israeli defamers and the current GOI all I can see is betraying disloyal Jews stabbing their brothers in the back.