J'lem Municipality Announces New Construction in Contested Neighborhoods

Jerusalem, 22 January, 2017 (TPS) -- Less than 48 hours after the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, the Jerusalem municipality granted approval for 671 housing units in eastern Jerusalem.

Announcing the move, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat that “after surviving eight terrible years of Obama, I hope that era is over. We will continue to build in Jerusalem, for all residents.”

The building permits include 324 homes in Ramot, 174 in Ramat Shlomo, 68 in Pisgat Zeev. Significantly, they also include 105 housing units in Arab-majority neighborhoods, including 49 homes in Beit Hanina,14 in Wadi Joz, 24 in Um Lison and Um Tuba, 7 in Jabel Mukaber, 4 in Beit Safafa, 3 in Tzur Baher and 4 in A-Tur.

Predictably, Palestinian authorities reacted swiftly to the announcement. Nabil Abu-Rudeineh, a spokesman for PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, called on the United Nations Security Council to act in keeping with Resolution 2334 and to “put an end to Israel’s policy of [trying to] destroy the two-state solution.

“The time has come to stop treating Israel as a country that is above the law,” Abu-Rudeineh added.

The PA foreign ministry added a stiff condemnation of Israeli calls to annex portions of Judea and Samaria, starting with Ma’aleh Adumim and called on the new administration in Washington to put an end to the Israeli statements.