BICOM

Soon after the release of 26 Palestinian prisoners last night, Israel’s government announced it would approve construction projects in areas of Jerusalem situated beyond the pre-1967 borders.

The announcement is viewed as an attempt to quell right-wing criticism of the prisoner release and to offset any political fall-out from the move. The decision to accelerate construction plans was made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Interior Minister Gideon Saar, rather Housing Minister Uri Ariel, a Jewish Home MK and outspoken critic of the prisoner release.

The construction plans focus on four projects, which were already in planning stages but had been frozen following President Obama’s visit to Israel earlier this year. Tenders will be released for the construction of 1,500 new housing units in the Ramat Shlomo neighbourhood, where a measure has also been approved for home-owners to construct an additional room in existing properties. Although situated beyond the pre-1967 borders, Ramat Shlomo is widely considered in Israel as an area which will remain under Israeli control following any potential peace agreement. Meanwhile, Netanyahu and Saar also gave the go ahead for a tourism and archaeology centre just outside the walls of the Old City and a national park on the slopes of Mount Scopus near the Hebrew University.

Last week AP quoted an Israeli official saying American and Palestinian Authority (PA) officials were well aware of the construction plans in advance and that the announcement would not come as a surprise to them.