1,500 new housing units set

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Internal Affairs Minister Gideon Sa'ar agreed on Tuesday night to advance the construction of 1,500 housing units in northeast Jerusalem, the Israeli channel 10 news reported.

The houses are to be built in the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood, beyond what is known as the green line, meaning in territories annexed by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War.

Among other projects approved is an expansion of Ramat Shlomo and a national park near Hebrew University in Mount Scopus.

Leader of the nationalistic Jewish Home Party, Economy Minister Naftali Bennet, according to the report, awaited an announcement of new housing units in isolated settlements in the West Bank. Bennet's party consists of several settlers, and residents of settlements are a significant part of the party's constituency.

Xinhua

(China Daily 10/31/2013 page11)