Israel’s Interior Ministry has approved a 1,600-unit housing complex in East Jerusalem. It’s the same complex that was announced last year, embarrassing a visiting Vice President Joe Biden, and it comes with the promise to build an additional 2,700 units of housing in the occupied Palestinian area of the city.

Israelis have been protesting high rents, erecting a tent city in Tel Aviv to drive home the point, but building on Palestinian land remains controversial. Thursday’s housing announcement, as The New York Times points out, could drive Palestinian leaders even harder to declare statehood at the United Nations in a month. — PZS

The New York Times:

The announcement also provoked an angry reaction from Israeli groups opposed to housing construction in land conquered by Israel in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. They denounced it as an opportunistic way for the Israeli government to exploit a housing shortage that has led to unaffordable rents and mass protests in Israel. Peace Now, the leading anti-settlement group in Israel, condemned what it called the Interior Ministry’s “cynical use” of the housing crisis.

The Israel Interior Ministry announcement came a month before the United Nations annual General Assembly in New York, where Palestinian Authority officials have said they may unilaterally declare statehood, a move that is opposed by both Israel and the United States, its strongest ally. They favor a resumption of peace talks, which remain stalled partly because of Palestinian objections to Israeli construction on disputed lands. The housing announcement could strengthen Palestinian resolve to proceed with the statehood declaration.

Read more

 Wait, before you go…

If you're reading this, you probably already know that non-profit, independent journalism is under threat worldwide. Independent news sites are overshadowed by larger heavily funded mainstream media that inundate us with hype and noise that barely scratch the surface.  We believe that our readers deserve to know the full story. Truthdig writers bravely dig beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that tells you what’s really happening and who’s rolling up their sleeves to do something about it.

Like you, we believe a well-informed public that doesn’t have blind faith in the status quo can help change the world. Your contribution of as little as $5 monthly or $35 annually will make you a groundbreaking member and lays the foundation of our work.

Support Truthdig
In this Article:
#east jerusalem#housing#israel#jerusalem#settlement#united nations