Israel okays 800 new housing units in East Jerusalem, surrounding area

[Israeli]

7. Right .....

Ref : http://www.democraticunderground.com/1134130670

The state had no choice but to approve the construction plan for Palestinians in Givat Hamatos. The Beit Safafa community administration petitioned Jerusalem District Court six months ago, against the delay of the plan’s implementation for no apparent reason. The prosecution tried to argue that the reason the plan hadn’t gone forward was so secret, the petitioners couldn’t be told what it was. The prosecution also claimed that the issue had been discussed at the highest levels of government.

The court rejected these arguments and demanded a serious response. Last week, before the murders of Israelis Hallel Yaffa Ariel and Rabbi Michael Mark in the West Bank, the prosecution told the court that decisions would be made that will make the petition superfluous. This means the prime minister had no alternative but to approve the plan for the Palestinians, and the resulting condemnation from the right – by ministers Zeev Elkin and Naftali Bennett, along with Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat – was merely populist noise for electoral purposes.