Tag Archive for housing

Washington talks on Israeli settlement homes construction ends without agreement

 

Despite setting a more positive tone towards Israel, the 4-day round of talks between the Trump administration and Israeli officials has ended without agreement over the issue of settlements, since the US delegation reiterated Trump’s concerns over Israeli settlement activity.

By Reuters

 

The Trump administration reiterated its concerns about Israeli settlement activity, the two sides said on Thursday, as a round of talks ended without agreement over limiting future construction on land the Palestinians want for a state.

POTUS tells PM Netanyahu to hold off on the construction.- Photo: GPO

The four days of high-level meetings in Washington marked the latest step by President Donald Trump’s aides aimed at opening the way to renewed peace diplomacy between Israel and the Palestinians, despite deep skepticism in the United States and Middle East over the chances for success.

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6,000 Chinese construction laborers to arrive in Israel by June

 

Israel’s Finance minister says bilateral construction labor deal with China will help address housing shortage by bolstering undermanned construction sector, facilitating shorter construction time that translates into lower prices.

By Israel Hayom Staff

 

Israel’s construction sector, which has long suffered from a lack of sufficient manpower, received a boost on Wednesday after an Israeli delegation signed a bilateral agreement with the Chinese government to bring more than 6,000 Chinese laborers to Israel in the next half year.

The agreement, which was signed following protracted negotiations, is slated to be made official in late February, the Israeli news portal Walla reported. Continue Reading »

US harshly condemns Israel for adding settlement homes in West Bank

 

In an unusually strong statement, the White House & US State Department called plans to construct a ‘significant’ new settlement of up to 300 housing units in the West Bank ‘deeply troubling’ and undermines the peace process.
– The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs commented in reply, “The 98 housing units approved in Shilo do not constitute a ‘new settlement.'”

The Associated Press, Reuters

 

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is once again condemning Israel for plans to construct housing on land claimed by the Palestinians, saying that a new project announced last week profoundly hurts efforts to forge a two-state solution to the long-running conflict. Continue Reading »

Int’l Report: Israel’s housing & poverty in bad shape, but Israelis are educated & happy

 

According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Israel ranks poorly for income, housing market & poverty, yet Israelis express high satisfaction with life, as the Jewish State places high for education levels & good health.

By Liron Sahar

 

Israelis suffer from low wages, a difficult housing market and poverty, according to a report released Sunday by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on the nation’s “well-being”.

Israeli looks in a dumpster – Photo: Motti Kimchi

Israel is highly-ranked in several areas, particularly level of satisfaction with life in the country, health and acquiring education. Continue Reading »

Peace Now: Israel planning over 55,000 new homes around Jerusalem, E-1 areas

 

The Israeli organization claims one section of development east of Jerusalem would divide Arab continuity of the West Bank for a future Palestinian state.

By i24news

 

Israel is working to revive and extend plans for new Jewish settler homes in the E1 area of the West Bank, the Peace Now organization said Monday.

Jewish settlements in east Jerusalem — such as Har Homa which was originally built in the 1990s — are considered to be in breach of the Oslo accords by the Palestinians but not by Israel, which does not see east Jerusalem as occupied territory. – Photo: AHMAD GHARABLI /AFP/FILE

Peace Now is an Israeli organization that actively campaigns for a two-state agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. Continue Reading »

Rawabi, newly built Palestinian city welcomes its first settlers

 

After years of gov’t delays & disputes with Israel over water connection, the 1st Palestinian planned city, with 6,000 housing units, finally opens its gates to West Bank Arab settlers.

By Felice Friedson, The Media Line

 

Hanadi Abu Zahra turns on the tap in her kitchen and is elated to see the water flowing – something most new residents would take for granted even if they had not just moved into a brand new state-of-the-art apartment in a luxury building located in a development that has been the recipient of massive world-wide attention. But whether or not water would be there when the tap was turned on became symbolic of the challenges that had to be overcome in order for Rawabi, the first Palestinian planned city, to transform from one man’s vision to the fulfillment of 40,000 aspirations. Continue Reading »

New Survey Reports why 18,000 Jerusalem residents leave annually

 

Unrelated to terrorism or the ‘Shabbat wars’, a new study reveals that it’s not just secular residents leaving the Jewish Capital, but also the religious & the ultra-Orthodox that are moving out of Jerusalem by the thousands.

By Nadav Shragai

 

The “Shabbat wars” in Jerusalem (waged by the ultra-Orthodox population against businesses that operate on Shabbat) teach us for the umpteenth time that the status quo between the secular and religious residents of the city has never been more flexible. To be honest, the many and frequent changes in this relationship in recent years raise questions as to whether such a status quo ever even existed. Continue Reading »

Israel re-approves 900 new homes for East Jerusalem neighborhood

US State Dept says plans are ‘damaging & inconsistent’ with resolving Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
UN chief ‘concerned’ by plans to build homes in Jewish neighborhood.

By The Associated Press

 

Israel has approved 900 new homes in East Jerusalem Jewish neighborhood Ramat Shlomo, watchdog Peace Now said Thursday.

Construction in Ramat Shlomo – Photo: AFP/File

Israel first announced the plans in 2010 during Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel, sparking a diplomatic spat with Washington.

US State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke on Thursday called it “damaging and inconsistent” with resolving the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians with a two state solution. Continue Reading »

Plan Approved For 2,200 New Arab Homes In East Jerusalem

Israel’s District Planning & Building Committee invites submission for building thousands of new homes in Arab East Jerusalem.

By Roi Yanovsky

 

The Interior Ministry’s District Planning and Building Committee on Monday invited the submission of a master plan for the construction of 2,200 new housing units for the Arab sector in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Jabel Mukaber. As part of the plan, several hundreds of housing units built illegally will also be retroactively approved.

Construction in East Jerusalem – Photo: AFP

The decision was approved despite strong objection from right-wing activists. Aryeh King, a member of the Jerusalem city council who is leading the charge against the plan, sent an urgent letter to Interior Minister Gilad Erdan on Sunday, claiming there are issues with the project, because in reality, according to him, many more units will be built than initially planned. Continue Reading »

Jerusalem Municipality allocates NIS 50m. ($12.56m.) in Har Homa construction

 

According to municipality officials, the funds are to be invested toward improving neighborhood’s roads, sidewalks, parks, playgrounds & street lights for the 25,000 Jewish residents.

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Israel OK’s 78 new home construction for East Jerusalem

Jerusalem’s municipal planning committee authorized 28 new homes in Ramot and 50 homes in Har Homa.

Palestinians Authority accuse Jerusalem of trying to ’cause more tension, pushing towards further escalation.

By Reuters

 

Israel on Wednesday approved the construction of 78 new homes in two settlements on West Bank land adjacent to Jerusalem, likely to aggravate Palestinian anger at a time when violence has flared, including a deadly attack on a synagogue.

Construction in Har Homa neighborhood in East Jerusalem (Photo: AFP)

Construction in Har Homa neighborhood in East Jerusalem – Photo: AFP

Jerusalem’s municipal planning committee authorized 50 new housing units in the Jewish neighborhood Har Homa and 28 in Ramot, a municipal spokeswoman said. Continue Reading »

Jordan to request UN Security Council session over Israel’s housing plans in Jerusalem

The Jordanian request, on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, comes after Israel announced additional housing construction plans, as Arab violence in area escalates.

 

A spokesman for Jordan’s mission to the United Nations said on Monday his country will request an emergency UN Security Council meeting on behalf of the Palestinians, who have written to the council president about “dangerously escalating tensions” in East Jerusalem.

An orthodox Jew visits Temple Mount

An orthodox Jew visits the Dome of the Rock on the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount, in Jerusalem’s Old City, October 27, 2014.

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An arrogant US administration questions Israel’s commitment to peace

State Dept spokesperson expressed ‘deep concern’ over Israel’s construction in existing Israeli towns & cities, emphasizes US opposition to Israel’s unilateral steps on building homes in Jerusalem.

By Yitzhak Benhorin

 

 

 

WASHINGTON – The US State Department said Monday that recent Israeli actions are not reflective of an administration pursuing peace. During the daily press briefing, spokesperson Jen Psaki stressed that Israel must lower tensions and take the proper steps towards living in peace.

Ma'ale Adumim, east of Jerusalem (Photo: AP)

Ma’ale Adumim, east of Jerusalem – Photo: AP

“We view settlement activity as illegitimate and unequivocally oppose unilateral steps that prejudge the future of Jerusalem,” she said. Continue Reading »

Israel’s Prime Minister: We will continue building in Jerusalem, Israel’s capital

Israeli leader says construction benefits Jews and Arabs alike, “for Jerusalemites of all religions.”

By i24news

 

 

Israel’s construction in Jerusalem will continue, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday, stressing that “we are building for Jews and Arabs alike, for Jerusalemites of all religions.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – PMO

Netanyahu spoke at a ceremony in the Israeli capital marking the unveiling of a new road named after the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, famous for his hawkish views.

Championing the legacy of the late premier, whose son Yair serves in Netanyahu’s government as the Minister of Agriculture, the leader said that Shamir “emphasized at every turn our obligation to safeguard Jerusalem’s unity.

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White House Strikes at Netanyahu for Confusion on ‘American Values’

White House press secretary bashes Netanyahu on his questioning of American values from Obama’s criticism over Jewish Israelis buying homes in Jerusalem.

Ynetnews

 

 

The White House hit back Monday at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s accusation that US criticism of Israeli settlement construction was “against American values,”

Netanyahu and Obama meet in Washington (Photo: AFP)

Netanyahu and Obama meet in Washington – Photo: AFP

A long-time split between President Barack Obama and Netanyahu appeared to widen further after the Israeli leader’s visit to the White House last week.

Netanyahu, in an interview on the CBS program “Face the Nation” on Sunday, called the administration’s condemnation of the project “baffling.” Continue Reading »