Minister Boim: 1,100 homes to be built in east Jerusalem
Housing minister tells Israel Radio bids to build 1,100 new housing units in east Jerusalem will soon be issued, denies claims government froze construction
Israel's housing minister said Tuesday that bids would go out soon to build 1,100 apartments in east Jerusalem - a move sure to anger Palestinians, who claim the city's eastern sector as capital of a future state.
Housing Minister Zeev Boim told Israel Radio that bids would go out soon to build 370 apartments in the Har Homa neighborhood and an additional 750 in Pisgat Zeev.
The announcement two months ago that Israel would build 350 other apartments in Har Homa soured peace talks with the Palestinians even before they began.
On Monday, Jerusalem city manager Yair Maayan told a parliamentary panel that the government was holding up construction of hundreds of apartments in Jewish neighborhoods of east Jerusalem.
Boim disputed that contention.
"We are building all over Jerusalem within its municipal borders," Boim said. "What people call delays are in fact final stages of coordination with city hall."
The Housing Ministry, Boim said, is preparing to carry out the infrastructure work that has to be done before bids are issued for 750 apartments in Pisgat Zeev. Some 370 apartments are in the pipeline for Har Homa, in addition to 350 apartments already put out to bid, he said.
Boim disputed allegations that political considerations were holding up building in Jerusalem. "There is a directive from the prime minister requiring his personal approval for planning, bids, etc," he said. "There is nothing regarding construction in Jerusalem."
