Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is pushing for planning authorities to approve construction of some 7,000 housing units in West Bank Settlements.
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The efforts of the right-wing finance minister who was also given authority over civilian matters in the West Bank, come while Israel is at war with Hamas in Gaza and on the cusp of war against Hezbollah in the north and at a time when the Biden administration and other Israeli allies have called for a future Palestinian State to end the years-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The planning process for approvals has already begun among the professionals. It is estimated that around 7,000 housing units are currently in progress at various stages, with over 2,000 of them moving towards the final stage of obtaining building permits. These numbers are not yet finalized as the process is still underway.
"Our silence thus far is due to the understanding that the State of Israel is in a highly complex period, with strategic relations with the United States being managed in accordance with the needs of the war, Shlomo Ne'eman, head of the Gush Etzion Regional Council, said. "While we remain determined and patient, we sense that a breaking point is approaching."