TEL AVIV, October 27 (RIA Novosti) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recommended Monday that plans to construct around 1,000 housing units for Jewish families in East Jerusalem be advanced.
The plan that should be boosted under prime minister's recommendation envisages the construction of 400 housing units in Har Homa in southeastern Jerusalem and 660 units in Shlomo, northeastern Jerusalem, The Times of Israel reported, citing a source from the Prime Minister's Office.
The source added that Netanyahu has also called for boosting infrastructure projects, including construction of new roads, parks and student villages as part of an extensive West Bank development project.
The initiative comes ahead of a meeting on Tuesday, in which the regional planning committee for Jerusalem is expected to approve 1,660 new apartments in East Jerusalem as part of an earlier plan, according to The Times of Israel. The United States has asked for plans to be frozen as the announcement of new settlements has provoked controversy.
Israel announced its plans for new settler homes in East Jerusalem in the course of the peace talks with Palestine that resumed in 2013. The move was repeatedly criticized by both Palestine and the international community, in particular the United States, the European Union and the United Nations, stressing that Israel was undermining negotiations. In early October, Palestine worked out a draft UN Security Council resolution that defines strict time limits for Israel to end its occupation and remove settlements before November 2016.
