On Wednesday, the Interior Ministry approved the construction of the Chomat Shmuel 3 neighborhood in Yerushalayim’s Har Choma neighborhood. The project will encompass 920 building units. The approval comes despite strong objections from US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The ministry also approved the construction of hundreds of units in Pisgat Ze’ev in the northern area of the capital. To the dismay of chareidi askanim, only some 60 housing units were allocated for the chareidi population of Yerushalayim, despite the critical shortage of housing in that sector.

In Shomron, the Defense Ministry gave the green light for doubling the industrial park in Ariel. Government officials tediously reviewed maps and other documents to ensure the land on which the new factories are to be built is state-owned land, and not that of Arab villagers, seeking to prevent petitions to the Supreme Court challenging the construction. 25 new factories are expected to move into the new industrial area.

Ariel Mayor Ron Nachman praised the move following a long and difficult battle to have the new industrial park approved.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)