Turkey condemns construction in West Bank
Turkey condemns Israel's decision to approve the construction of some 1,000 housing units in the West Bank. Despite only 1,000 housing units approved, Turkey 'condemns Israel's decision to approve 2,000 additional housing units in the Israeli-occupied West Bank,' Turkey's Foreign Affairs statement read.
Despite only 1,000 housing units approved, Turkey claimed in its condemnation statement that 2,000 housing units had been approved.
"We harshly condemn Israel's decision to approve 2,000 additional housing units in the Israeli-occupied West Bank," Turkey's Foreign Affairs statement said.
The Supreme Planning Committee of the Civil Administration approved Tuesday the construction of 984 housing units in Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
Nearly 384 units have already received a final approval—56 in the settlement of Barkan, 168 in Nofim, 108 in Tzofim, 44 in Ma'ale Adumim and eight in Avnei Hefetz.
The remaining units—in Kiryat Netafim, Otniel and Beit El—are currently at the deposit stage of planning and will be approved in the near future.
The units to be built in Beit El will probably be part of hundreds of housing units Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman has been promoting in the settlements following the deadly terror attack in Adam a few weeks ago.
"This is an insufficient amount and the smallest number of housing units approved in the last year and a half. In the previous committees, the number of building permits ranged from 2,000 to 3,000, which is also relatively limited compared to the total number of permits throughout the country, which is in the tens of thousands," read the organization’s official statement.
"A national government should not reduce construction, but expand it. We call on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to remove the restrictions and order a large-scale construction plan throughout the West Bank, as in other parts of the country.
"It is possible, required and should be done as soon as today," the statement concluded.
