123 percent rise in new settlement construction in 2013, new stats show

[azurnoir]

According to the CBS data, Israel started construction on 2,534 housing units in Judea and Samaria, compared to 1,133 housing units
in 2012. On the other hand, there was a dramatic 19 percent drop in the number of housing units built in the Tel Aviv area.

In 2013 there was a 12 percent rise in the number of housing units Israel started building in southern Israel, and an eight percent rise in the Haifa area. There was only a one percent rise in northern Israel, while the Jerusalem area saw a 3.4 percent rise.

The release of the information comes as the US is reportedly putting pressure on Israel to reduce or partially freeze its construction in the West Bank. The Palestinians have repeatedly expressed their opposition to the building of settlements by Israel, saying it impairs their chances of establishing a territorially contiguous state in the area.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government insists that the construction has no real impact on the peace talks, but US President Barack Obama, who was due to meet with the Israeli leader at the White House on Monday, made clear that he disagreed.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4494635,00.html

[Jefferson23]

1. Now that's what I call progress!

[Mosby]

2. What do you make of this?

Of Israel's total population of 8,000,000, some 350,000 - roughly 4.4 percent of the population - live in the West Bank.

Seems like the settler population shrunk by 150,000 in a year.

RAMALLAH (Reuters) -- Palestinian officials welcomed a UN Human Rights Council report on Thursday highly critical of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, saying it vindicated their struggle against Israel.

The UN investigation, which Israel boycotted, urged Israel to halt settlement construction unconditionally and begin removing all 500,000 Israeli settlers from occupied territory immediately.

http://maannews.net/ENG/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=560997

Someone is lying.

[azurnoir]

3. someone (Ynet) is not including East Jerusalem in the settler population

I'm surprised you did not realize that

now can you answer this question?

Is there a housing crisis of sorts within the green line? Isn't that in part what the social protests are/were over?

[Mosby]

4. Sorry, I don't consider east J-lem occupied, and neither does Ynet

That area was ethnically cleansed of Jews by the Arabs. So clearly it should be returned to the Jewish indigenous population.

All the settlement development is occurring in established settlements. Big deal.

[azurnoir]

5. I did not ask about settlement development I asked about housing inside the greenline

is there somewhat of a crisis shortage/pricing?

[Mosby]

6. Sure, there is a housing bubble in Israel

And the government needs to figure out how to ameliorate the situation.

[azurnoir]

7. perhaps the figures cited in this OP give a hint?

especially with the prospect of ten's of thousands Ukrainian Jews added to the mix?

[Scootaloo]

8. Well, your consideration is not connected to reality

Jerusalem is an occupied city in occupied territory. East, West, North, South, the airspace, the sewers, the whole damn thing.

That area was ethnically cleansed of Jews by the Arabs. So clearly it should be returned to the Jewish indigenous population.

Careful there chief, that could set up something they call "precedent" in legal circles

[sabbat hunter]

10. well according to you

large areas of Israel proper (inside the green line) are also 'occupied territory' since they do not follow the partition plan that Israel agreed to (but the Palestinians did not).

So it would something like this www.google.com/imgres?imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FMandatory_Palestine&tbnid=h3uDxhr8bs1xjM:&docid=e_9M0nmryTeGsM&h=1529&w=836

[Jefferson23]

9. How convenient to ignore international law.

*In the view of the Court, cessation of Israel’s violations of its international obligations entails in
practice the dismantling forthwith of those parts of that structure situated within the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem. Held by the UNGA, UNSC as well.
http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/131/1677.pdf


No big deal if you can thwart the law and get away with it but don't claim you are for a fair
settlement..that would be disingenuous, at best.