The Jerusalem Post Internet Edition
Monday, July 27, 1998 4 Av 5758
Peace Now: Jewish Building in West Bank Up 134%
By Noah Streit and news agencies
JERUSALEM (July 27) - Construction has increased this
year by 134 percent in the Jewish communities of the
West Bank and Gaza, but decreased inside the Green Line
by 20%, Peace Now alleged yesterday.
The group claimed it was quoting information from a
report by the Central Bureau of Statistics, but bureau
officials said they could not confirm the numbers.
Peace Now also stated that according to its information,
730 housing units were started in the settlements during
the first quarter of 1998 versus the 310 units in the
first quarter of 1997.
The Housing and Construction Ministry said the figures
were a result of natural growth in already existing
settlements.
"We are not building new settlements. We are talking
about the same settlements. If a family has a grown
child and he marries and wants to live near his parents,
he needs an apartment," said Moshe Eilat, a ministry
adviser.
"The government is lying to the whole world by saying
the numbers are natural growth. There are still empty
houses in the occupied territories," said Peace Now
spokeswoman Hagit Ya'ari.
"I have not built a single apartment in five years,"
Ariel Mayor Ron Nahman said yesterday, but added that he
had just received permits to begin construction again.
Ariel has recently absorbed 6,000 new immigrants, he
said.
"How many did the kibbutzim and Peace Now absorb?"
Nahman asked.
Ya'ari said that statistics show a decrease of new
building inside the Green Line by 20%.
"This is disproportionate with the new building in the
settlements. If the government needs new housing, why
don't they build within Israel? If there is a lack of
space, why does the government not utilize, for example,
the 700 empty flats in Eli?" she asked.
Ya'ari said Peace Now representatives visit settlements
and have found that there are many unoccupied
apartments.
Yehudit Tayar, spokeswoman for the Council of Jewish
Communities in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, said in
response:
"We again can see the one-sided agenda of Peace Now,
which comes out with the figures for the legal building
in the Jewish communities of Yesha, where, when checked
with the reality of the situation, prove to be
preposterous," she said.
