After a long delay fueled by diplomatic concerns, the State of Israel approved the construction of thousands of new housing units in the settlement of Maaleh Adumim, near Jerusalem, on Thursday.
The comprehensive agreement, signed by the Construction and Housing Ministry and the Maaleh Adumin Municipality, permits construction to begin on 470 units that have already been given government approval and adds an additional 20,000 units, to be built under the agreement pending government approval.
Construction and Housing Minister Yoav Gallant lauded the agreement, which he said would "lead to significant development and growth in the population of Maaleh Adumim."
"In addition to the new housing units," Gallant went on to say, "public and educational institutions will also be established, and will include synagogues, schools, parks, community centers and sports arenas. We must continue to establish [our] hold on the Jerusalem area, from Maaleh Adumin in the east to Givat Zeev in the west, from Atarot in the north to the area of Bethlehem and Rachel's Tomb to Efrat and Gush Etzion."
He noted that these places were of "historic, strategic and national importance."
He said Judea and Samaria was not "a negotiable asset" from a security perspective and that in the future, these territories would help protect the country from both known and unknown threats from the east.
"We are working in collaboration with Mayor Benny Kashriel in Maaleh Adumim, and we will continue to act to strengthen the city," Gallant said. "We must continue to maintain full control over Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley and bolster the settlement in these regions."
The agreement, a Construction and Housing Ministry initiative, seeks to build housing and commercial spaces in 15 compounds across the suburb, to be marketed by 2025.
The total budget for the development project has been set at 2.8 billion shekels ($756,000,000). The municipality will finance the construction of public institutions, in accordance with the law, while the government will allocate 190 million shekels to the municipality for renovations.
