BICOM

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday halted preliminary plans for the construction of thousands of homes beyond the pre-1967 borders in the West Bank.

According to the anti-settlement watchdog Peace Now, the Housing Ministry was preparing planning tenders for a total of 23,786 homes, including 1,200 units in the sensitive E1 area near Maaleh Adumim. A Housing Ministry spokesman commented to Reuters that “The tenders are a basis for building plans and they all still have to go through lengthy legal procedures before building starts.”

Nonetheless, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that Jewish Home’s Housing Minister Uri Ariel had drawn up the tenders “without any advance coordination” and ordered him to reconsider the plan. Ariel agreed to Netanyahu’s request. Yediot Ahronot quotes an unnamed Netanyahu aide who described Ariel as a “pyromaniac” and “provocateur.” Netanyahu said the plans were “a meaningless step – legally and in practice,” explaining that it was “an action that creates an unnecessary confrontation with the international community at a time when we are making an effort to persuade elements in the international community to reach a better deal with Iran.”

Earlier in the day, US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the United States was “deeply concerned” by the construction plans. Last week, US Secretary of State John Kerry visited the region to soothe tensions between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) which have marred recent peace talks. Both sides last week accused the other of dishonesty regarding an Israeli announcement, immediately after having released a second batch of 26 long-term Palestinian prisoners, to advance construction plans beyond the pre-1967 borders.

Opposition and Labour Party leader Shelly Yachimovich accused Netanyahu’s government of confusion over yesterday’s events, saying “One head enters and exits the room and conducts a serious negotiation, and the second… will continue the conflict.” She said yesterday’s revelations “only add fuel to the tension with the American government.”