Israel Demonstrations About Housing Needs

Nadene Goldfoot with "Blintz" her German shepherd in Safed, Israel, February 1982.  She lives in the bottom apartment of one of the buildings with bars on the living room window to keep out terrorists.  It came with the apartment.

Israel is having internal problems of having sufficient housing for young adults to buy in Jerusalem.  There are mainly apartment buildings for people to buy  in the major cities in Israel, not family homes that we are used to in the USA.  They have become very expensive in Jerusalem.

The Interior Minister, Eli Yishai, has given his authorization to build 1,600 aparments in Jerusalem and is planning on approving 2,700 more in the coming days.  This will happen in East Jerusalem, the area the Palestinians are planning to take over as their capital.  Their plans have not included talking such things over with Israel and coming to terms of peace. 

Israel has exercised de jure sovereignty (by lawful title)  in Jerusalem since 27 June 1967 and have stated that it will remain the undivided and eternal capital of the Jewish state.  In 2010 the Knesset passed legislation giving Jerusalem the highest national status in Israel.  It prioritized construction in all the city and offered grants and tax benefits to residents to make housing, infrastructure, education, employment, business, tourism and other events more affordable. 

Analysts are saying that this building will probably hurt Washington in dissuading the PA that are planning to go to the United Nations to declare their statehood in September.  At one time, Israel's building in land obtained due to the 67 War was thought to be the impedus speed up the Palestinians' decision to sit down and come to peace terms with Israel, but it didn't happen.  Instead of allowing the land to go fallow in the past 44 years of indecision on the Arab's part, Israel is making use of it.  Abu Rudaineh is asking the USA and EU to pressure Israel to stop building. Saeb Erekat, Chief PLO negotiator calls the project of building a "war crime".

Israel needs housing badly. Demonstrators creating a rally have been taking over Rothschild Boulevard in Tel Aviv by erecting tents there like a tent city to show their need for housing. They now plan to do it in Be'ersheva. One of the draws in Tel Aviv were free musical performances by many of Israel's top musicians who came and played at the rally.  A run is also being planned as a form of demonstration. 

Israel was even mentioned with shock on Fox News as a place outside of the USA where demonstrators were active while in a discussion about why London was rioting and burning.

Jerusalem's Jewish history goes back to King David in 1010 BCE when he defeated the Jebusites and made Jerusalem the administrative capital.  It was captured in 597 BCE when Nebuchadnezzar razed it and deported most all the Jews to Babylon in 586 BCE.  It again came into the Jewish hands but was lost in 70 CE to the Roman attack.  It is the most important site in Israel and has been in the prayers every day to not forget it, and "Next year in Jerusalem" has been said every year since the loss.  Jerusalem is mentioned 600 times in the Tanakh (Old Testement).  One cannot deny that Jerusalem belongs to the Jewish state.  It took an act of G-d to bring it back into Israel's hands once again when Israel was attacked by the surrounding Arabs states in 1967 in what was called "Six Day War" and won despite the odds, something of a huge miracle. Because of the Arab action to eradicate Israel and its population, Jordan lost East Jerusalem.  It is not up for grabs. 

http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=233471

http://www.keyway.ca/htm2002/jerfacts.htm

arutz Sheva news@israelnationalnews.com   Israel to approve 4,300 Units in Jerusalem by Gavriel Queenan and Cost of Living Protests Reach IDF by David Lev

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vie/Jerusalem1.html

http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/the-arms-race/israelis-run-through-tel-aviv-for-social-justice-1.378031

Israel's New Plans for East Jerusalem That Shook America

by Nadene Goldfoot

Israel has a big brother by the name of America, and the news on TV was full of condemnation for this tiny country today who thought it was a free democratic state. Come to find out, big brother thinks it's in the driver's seat.

That's what happened when Vice President Joe Biden came to visit and announced support for Israel's security today. Hours later Israel's Interior Ministry announced a no no-1,600 new housing units in East Jerusalem. (This was announced on NBC at 5:40pm as 1,600 settlements in East Jerusalem.) There's a huge difference, NBC.

The problem may lie in the fact that back on 25 November, 2009, Netanyahu's cabinet came up with a policy of restraint regarding settlements which included a suspension of new permits and new construction in Judea and Samaria for the length of 10 months. They didn't really like to do this but for the deep desire for peace, they went along with big brother and others' wishes. They also said they wouldn't expropriate more land for existing settlements. Netanyahu also said he promised to see to it that normal life could continue for the 300,000 Israel citizens who live in Judea and Samaria. These two places are called the West Bank by the West. Israel calls the area by its names. As for Jerusalem, the capital, Israel's position is well known. They have not put any restrictions on building in their sovereign capital. Israel is committed to protect freedom of worship for all faiths and ensure equal and fair treatment for all, Jews and Arab. NOTICE THAT THERE WAS NO PROMISE OR ACCORD FOR JERUSALEM.

Now, on March 7, 2010, the cabinet came up with another decision about the temporary suspension of new construction in Judea and Samaria. Netanyahu approved the outline for compensating those that were adversely affected by the decision. They set uniform criteria for providing compensation:

1. To those who purchased apartments

2. To contractors and those with building permits

3. One-time compensation to those local council that were adversely affected by the decision.

Today the Jerusalem Post also told its citizens that the US slams new J'lem homes. These 1,600 homes, not settlements, are new housing units for young Haredi families in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo. Our brother said that the timing of the decision undermines the peace process that he is trying to revive. Biden's statement was very harsh and critical, coming on the eve of a new round of US-mediated peace talks. Of course the White House's Robert Gibbs condemned the announcement, too.

In defense, Israel's Interior Ministry said that the plan

had been in the works for over three years. There really was no connection to Joe Biden's visit to Israel.

The timing may have been poor, but are there any accidents? Isn't life synchronistic at times?

In June 2008, Israel's interior ministry approved construction of an additional 1,300 apartments in Ramat Shlomo. Israel says that most of the building is on land annexed by the state and thus does not violate its commitment not to build on disputed land.

I looked at another neighborhood in East Jerusalem known as Sheikh Jarrah or Shimon Hatzaddik. It's just north of the Old City. Once it was of historical significance to Jews, was violently conquered, settled by foreign Arabs, and now has been reclaimed by Jews. In 1936 the neighborhood was attacked by Arab rioters and later conquered by the Arab Legion in 1948, then annexed to Jordan in 1950. The Jordanians allowed Arab families to occupy abandoned Jewish homes. When Israel retook the area in 1967, the group that originally had bought the land began trying to evict Arab tenants and resettle the neighborhood with Jews. Now it's an issue with everyone.

We've had a lot of fighting over this tiny piece of land. Israel was conquered by Rome in 64 BCE says the Jerusalem Post. I thought it was finally conquered by Rome in 70 AD with the fall of Jerusalem. Anyway, then came Arabians of the Islamic Caliphate who wanted the land. We kept trying to recover our property. Everytime we were slaughtered and expelled. From 1800's on we've dealt with the Balfour Declaration and San Remo Conferences, giving us high hopes of regaining our country. There's been opposition every time.

The prime minister of Turkey Saturday encouraged Arabs to riot because of Israel's wanting the religious sites in Hebron and Bethlehem on a list of sites slated for restoration in order to keep them preserved. We've been going to these sites even at great peril depending on the period since the Second Temple days. He doesn't see our religious need or interest.

Such outlandish attitudes is why many in Israel feel that they need to give their complete support to the residents of Shimon Hatzaddik today. A free country with free people should be able to visit such places freely. Jerusalem is still the capital of Israel. Whatever would King David and King Solomon say about all this?

http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Speeches+by+Israel+leaders/2009/Statement+by

http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Communiques/2010/Compensation_suspension_c

http://www.jpost.coom/LandedPages/PrintArticle.aspx?id=170577

Wikipedia on Ramat Shlomo-added 3/10/10

http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Communiques/2010/Building_Jerusalem_Statement_PM+Netanyahu_11-Mar-2010.htm-listed 3/11/2010

http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA listed 3/11/2010