The move helps shore up Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s fragile coalition but will likely anger the Biden Administration.
Israel is set to advance plans for 3,988 West Bank settler homes despite US objections, with the White House – according to N12 – sending a message against it to Israeli officials.
The White House message was conveyed in talks between at least three different American parties and senior Israeli officials in Israel. According to one source speaking with N12, the White House even conditioned President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel next month on the issue of the plans for West Bank settler homes.
It’s a move, however, that will likely shore up Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s fragile coalition in advance of the opening next of the Knesset’s summer session. According to Walla, Israel explained this to the US.
The Biden Administration has been clear about its opposition to settlement activity, with US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides calling such construction “stupid” because it harms the two-state solution when he spoke at a virtual event with the left-wing Israeli group “Peace Now.” But the Biden Administration and Nides have been very supportive of Bennett and his coalition which is made up of parties from the Left, Center and Right of the political map.
The Higher Planning Council for Judea and Samaria at its Thursday meeting is slated to give its final approval for 2,536 new settler homes, including the authorization of the Mitzpe Dani outpost as a new neighborhood of the Ma’aleh Mikhmas settlement, and allow for the deposit of plans for 1,452 other homes.
To offset the anticipated anger by the US and other allies, Defense Minister Benny Gantz is expected to advance plans and or issue retroactive authorizations for over 1,000 Palestinian homes in Area C of the West Bank, which is under IDF military and civilian control.
Israel has been under pressure from the Biden administration to advance housing plans for Palestinians in Area C.
Yesha Council head David Elhayani and Samaria Regional Council Yossi Dagan charged that the Higher Planning Council for Judea and Samaria had initially intended to advance plans for close to 6,000 settler units but were told to cut some 1,800-2,000 of those units.
Elhayeni accused the government of “giving a prize to terror” and by cutting back on settler building plans precisely at a time when the country was mourning the three victims killed in Thursday’s terror attack in Elad.
Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked welcomed the news of the council meeting, touting her role in the Mitzpe Dani authorization and noting that “construction in Judea and Samaria is basic, welcomed and obvious.”
Publication of the council’s agenda on Friday negates accusations by right-wing politicians that Bennett has imposed a de-facto freeze in planning for new settler homes.
The council last met in October to advance plans for 3,130 settler homes.
Right-wing opposition politicians from Likud and the Religious Zionist Party had used the issue of a de-facto freeze to pressure right-wing parliamentarians in the coalition, such as Yamina and New Hope politicians, to resign from the government.
In the aftermath of a pressure campaign, Yamina MK Idit Silman resigned from the coalition last month, bringing the coalition down to 60 out of 120 seats, and causing it therefore to lose its narrow majority.
The Justice Ministry has since issued an opinion explaining there is no legal barrier to connecting the fledgling unauthorized communities to the electricity grid.
Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman who had cut the daycare subsidies agreed to delay any action on the matter until 2024.
Orbach, who heads Yamina’s Knesset faction, thanked both Bennett and Defense Minister Benny Gantz (Blue and White) for ceding to his request.
“The Higher Planning Council is the air that allows the settlements to breathe. It is oxygen,” Orbach said.
He welcomed Bennett and Gantz’s decision to honor his request to convene the Higher Planning Council adding that settlements make Israel “better and more secure.”
Meretz MK Mossi Raz, whose party is in the coalition, charged that Bennett’s government had the most right-wing policies in the country’s history, but said that his party would remain in the coalition.
“We will keep [the government] because the alternative that awaits if it falls is worse,” Raz said.
The plans for 2,536 settler homes that will get final approval include: 761 units for the Beitar Illit settlement, 534 units for Shvuet Rachel, 364 for Dolev, 168 for Neria, 156 for Kiryat Arba, 136 for Givat Ze’ev, 114 for Ma’aleh Michmash, 106 for Tal Menashe, 92 for Zofim, 64 for Revava and 40 for Efrat.
The plans for 1,452 settler homes that will be deposited include: 500 units for the Elkana settlement, 286 units for Kedumim, 192 for Sha’are Tikvah, 170 for Immanuel, 110 for Mevo Horon, 90 for Dolev, 56 for Negahot, 32 for Nokdim and 16 for Ma’aleh Adumim.