Confidantes of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he is willing to advance moves for the authorization of a new Jewish community in the northern Jerusalem neighborhood of Atarot, in line with the demands of some on the Right in recent months.
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In return, the Religious Zionist party, headed by Bezalel Smotrich will run together with the national religious Habayit Heyehudi party, and far-right Otzma Yehudit will run with the radical ultra-Orthodox Noam party in the upcoming March election, Israel Hayom has learned.
Netanyahu pushed for these alliances out of concern independent runs would see the parties fail to pass the electoral threshold, making it harder for the prime minister to form a coalition after Election Day.
Near the end of his term, former US President Donald Trump's administration refused Netanyahu's explicit request to advance the plan for Atarot.
Within the framework of Trump's "deal of the century," Atarot, which lies beyond the security barrier, was delineated as a future Palestinian tourist site.
The new Jewish neighborhood in Atarot is set to include 9,000 homes. Should it receive approval, the neighborhood will be largely situated on what was once the Jerusalem International Airport, which was shut down due to security issues during the Second Intifada in the early 2000s.
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