Following the recent approval of 1,500 new apartments in Jerusalem’s Ramat Shlomo neighborhood, the Jerusalem District Planning Board on Monday, 11 Teves 5773 gave its green light for the construction of 1,200 new homes in Gilo, in the southern capital. As is the case with Ramat Shlomo and many other areas, Gilo is viewed as “Israeli occupied” by the international community which does not recognize these areas of Eretz Yisrael that were liberated from Jordanian occupation in the June 1967 Six Day War as part of the State of Israel.

The Gilo approval is addition to the recently announced planned construction in the E1 area between the capital and Maale Adumim, an announcement that resulted in widespread condemnation from the international community.

The E1 issue is so sensitive that PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) threatened that if Israel moves ahead as it promises to do; he will dissolve the PA (Palestinian Authority) and throw the responsibility for the autonomous areas back in Israeli hands. In an earlier threat, the PA leader warned Israel that he will not hesitate to bring his case against Israel to the International Court of Justice in The Hague which he may now due as a result of his new status granted to the PA by the UN General Assembly.

Opponents of the current administration accuse Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu of isolating Israel in the international community with his construction declarations. Some feel he will not actually build in the E1 area, but simply finds the weeks ahead of the general election an opportune time to drum up support among right-wing voters.

Officials in the Prime Minister’s Office insist the recent statements regarding renewed construction are not just an election ploy, but the Israeli response to the PA’s unilateral move, referring to its newly achieved non-member observer status in the UN General Assembly.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)