Government Approves Plans for 1700 Homes in Yehudah and Shomron

The Israeli government gave approvals for plans to build 1,739 housing units in Yehudah and Shomron on Thursday.

Of the 1,739 homes given the green light by the Civil Administration’s High Planning Subcommittee, 1,036 were reportedly at an early stage of development known as “deposit” and the other 703 units won final approval for construction.

In making the announcement, Defense Minister Naftali Bennett reiterated his pledge for a more aggressive policy in building in the region.

“We authorized many [housing] units and we will continue to do so in the future,” Bennett said, and that we will “not give one inch of land” to the Palestinians.

“For years it was explained to the settlers why everything [with regard to building projects was] complicated and stuck in bureaucracy,” Bennett said, adding that he was putting a stop to such excuses.

“We are no longer in the discourse of evacuation and a freeze but in the mode of expansion and construction,” Bennett said.

The plans apply to a number of communities, including 534 units for the Shvut Rachel neighborhood of Shiloh, 156 in Tzofim, 110 in Elon Shvut, 106 in Maaleh Shomron, 105 in Nokdim, 73 in Givat Ze’ev, 48 for Har Bracha and 24 for Karnei Shomron.

Notably, a master plan for Eli of 620 homes received the go-ahead, allowing retroactive legalization of homes there, except for those that stand on private Palestinian property still under review by the High Court.

In addition, the council authorized for deposit a plan for a hi-tech industrial park with two million square meters of business space called Sha’arei HaShomron, to be located off Route 5 in the Shomron.