Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
Yesha Council head Avi Roeh says we are no longer in the Obama era, will not
accept limitations on building
BY TIMES OF ISRAEL STAFF March 20, 2017, 10:07 pm
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold
a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, February
15, 2017. (AFP/ SAUL LOEB)
Prior to Netanyahus meeting with the US president in Washington, Trump told
the Israel Hayom daily that I am not somebody that believes that going
forward with these settlements is a good thing for peace.
Following the meeting of the two leaders in February, Netanyahu said he was
working with the US administration to establish a mechanism to coordinate
new settlement construction.
However, despite reportedly discussing the issue at length with Trumps Special
Envoy for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt during his visit to Israel
last week, an agreement has yet to be reached on the issue.
Netanyahu has been trying to get the White Houses approval for the
construction of a new settlement the first in some 25 years to replace the
illegal outpost of Amona, which was evacuated and demolished last month.
Last month, he indicated to members of his security cabinet that the
government may have to back off the pledge, drawing vociferous protests from
the settlers and their allies in the coalition.
Before the meeting with Greenblatt on Thursday, by contrast, Netanyahu vowed
that he would fulfill his promise to Amona residents to establish the new
settlement.
A general view of a construction site in a new housing project in the Israeli
settlement of Nili, near the West Bank city of Ramallah, February 8, 2017. (AFP
Photo/Gil Cohen-Magen)
On Sunday, Netanyahu chief of staff Yoav Horowitz traveled to the US in order
to continue discussions on the issue with Greenblatt alongside Israels
Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer.
Since Trumps inauguration, Israel has approved the construction of some 6,000
news homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, although no new building plans
have been announced since Trumps comments in February.