Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
ISRAEL IS TO press ahead with the planned construction of 2,610 settler homes in annexed east Jerusalem, a watchdog said, with the move angering Palestinian leaders.
The housing units, which have been slated for construction since 2012 in the neighbourhood of Givat Hamatos, were given final approval last week, Peace Now said in a statement.
Hagit Ofran, spokeswoman for the Israeli non-governmental group, told AFP the government could now publish tenders for the project, but that it would be months before building actually began.
The settlements watchdog said the plans damaged prospects for peace and an eventual independent Palestinian state.
“Givat Hamatos is destructive to the two state solution,” it said.
“It divides the potential Palestinian state… (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu continues his policy of destroying the possibility of a two state solution.”
The timing was a political decision, Ofran said, but the exact reason was unclear.
Housing Minister Uri Ariel, who himself lives in a settlement, insisted on army radio it was part of “the normal process of authorisation necessary before any construction project in Jerusalem”.
Hanan Ashrawi, a leader of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, slammed the Givat Hamatos plans, saying in a statement the Israeli government was more interested in “stealing land than making peace”.
Israel’s settlement building in the occupied West Bank and annexed Arab east Jerusalem, which is illegal under international law, has caused the breakdown of several rounds of peace talks.
The settlements are built on land the Palestinians want for their future state.
Some 200,000 settlers live in east Jerusalem neighbourhoods, as well as some 306,000 Palestinians, according to Jerusalem’s municipality.
- © AFP 2014.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
GREAT IDEA.
Once they’re aware all these projects in Ireland will come in 100% OVER budget and late
And who is going to do the work?
We don’t have enough builders to build desperately needed houses as it is without syphoning off more of them for retrofitting.
I’m not suggesting climate change isn’t real but unfortunately homelessness is a greater crisis at the moment.
All grants for retrofitting should be paused for at least a decade.
@P.J. Nolan: you are on here every day claiming there isn’t builders. I’ve had to set you straight about 5 times now. Also people who are retrofitting insulation will be completely different to the ones building housing, it’s not done by insulation companies it’s done by the dry lining or carpentry crews and the externals by either the brick layers or cladding crews. And even then it’s usually the labourers or apprentices doing it
@Martin Mongan:
And as I have asked you before, if there is no shortage why do SF say it will at least 10 years to sort out the housing crisis?
They are right, it will, at least.
@P.J. Nolan: because it takes time to build something….? Do you think we just click our fingers and houses pop up? Do you understand the processes you have to go through to even just buy the land, nevermind the design and planning stage. Ground works alone can take more then a year depending on the size
@P.J. Nolan: well Intel’s big job is slowly wrapping up so that’ll free up workers
@Martin Mongan: well we have 100k of Ukrainians and at least 12k/ year of IPAS applicants all on the scratcher. Maybe if we trained them they might build a few.
@Thomas Hayes: they’d have to legally allowed work first
They couldn’t give a flying retrofit about the homeless or those with homes for that matter.Those that rely on fossil fuel will continue to be taxed and penalised.
@Patrick Presley: Who is they?
Trust in the EU machine being eroded fast across eu citizens. Changing times indeed.
@Mike 100: Is it? Source? Or just a warm fuzzy feeling in your pants?
How do you retrofit a tent for homeless people who can’t afford a roof over their heads because rental prices are too high or people who look at an empty fridge for the same reason?
The dynamics of society are volatile as ideologues chase conceptual rainbows of climate change modelling and act out solutions that have nothing to do with planetary climate.
The emergence of the maga crowd in the USA is no accident in reaction to an equally vacuous and pretentious group that dominates an educational, cultural and social-political clique.
26 years is plenty of time for this plan to go nowhere, as happens with a lot of these grandiose, long-term schemes. That means, of course, that large sums of money will inevitably change hands in the meantime, with several fortunes no doubt being made. Most of those involved will have long retired or passed away by 2050. Ciarán Cuffe will be 87. There’ll be no one left around to explain how the plan just sort of petered out with very little to show for it. That’s assuming there’s still an EU in 26 years, and I would have some doubts in that regard. Times and attitudes change, and no treaty lasts forever…
The biggest issue is energy generation. Increase the use of nuclear power and close down coal generation. This is the main cause of emissions. Once our energy generation is carbon neutral then run the transport system of it and over half emmisons will dissappear. But no. It will be taxes and restrictions on individuals instead .
better make it 2 trillion cos once it comes to Ireland everything will be 100%+ over budget
Looking forward to learning more about this at the upcoming ZEB Summit
I’ll send them on my address for the retrofit seeing it’s like a half way house here anyway !!
Green building plan .
Held shares in 6 oil companies.
That does not sound like a green plan to me .
Green party are full of bull.
have your say