Israel revives controversial East Jerusalem housing plan

ISRAEL yesterday took a step towards the construction of hundreds of homes in a sensitive East Jerusalem settlement that would sever parts of the city claimed by Palestinians from the West Bank.

Critics of the settler housing plan say that the move has been made to push the project forward before US president Donald Trump, who has turned a blind eye to Israeli plans to build settlements on occupied lands, leaves office in January.

US President- elect Joe Biden is expected to take a firmer stance against the expansion of Israeli occupation and to view the settlements as illegitimate.

The Israel Land Authority yesterday opened bidding for contractors to build over 1,200 homes in Givat Hamatos. The bidding is due to close on January 18, just two days before Mr Biden is set to take office.

It serves another blow to Palestinian hopes of statehood. “This is a continuation of the current Israeli government policy in destroying the two-state solution,” said Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesman for Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.

The settlement construction plan has long been blocked by the international community and previous US administrations but was revived in February by the Israeli prime minister. Benjamin Netanyahu has been emboldened over the past four years with President Trump in office and approved thousands of new settlements.

Settlement watchdog Peace Now says construction could begin within months of the bidding process closing in January.

“This is a lethal blow to the prospects for peace,” they said in a statement, adding that Israel was “taking advantage of the final weeks of the Trump administration in order to set facts on the ground that will be exceedingly hard to undo in order to achieve peace”.