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The 13,000 units ratified by the Supreme Housing Council break the previous record set during the Trump administration.

By Batya Jerenberg World Israel News

The slow wheels of Israeli bureaucracy have turned faster than they ever have before in one area at least since the inauguration of the country’s first fully right-wing government – housing approvals for Judea and Samaria.

Some 13,000 units were approved by the Supreme Planning Council in the last six months, breaking the previous annual record of 10,223 set in the previous Netanyahu administration during the last year in office of then-president Donald Trump.

In contrast to many previous years when the Council did not meet as legally required, once a quarter, thus contributing to the delay in housing and public building starts in the disputed region, it has met twice thus far in the last six months. In February, 7,000 plans were approved at various stages of construction, and on Sunday 4,560 more passed its muster.

In addition, as a direct response to the terror attack in Eli Tuesday in which two Palestinian Hamas members murdered four Israelis, two of them minors, and injured another four, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced that some 1,000 more houses will be built in the Samarian village.

“These are crazy numbers,” a source involved in the region’s building told Israel Hayom Thursday, giving credit mostly to Smotrich, who also serves as a minister in the Defense Ministry. His particular purview, as demanded in coalition negotiations, is the Civil Administration, which that runs the relevant housing planning committee, among other bureaucratic necessities in the Israeli-controlled portions of Judea and Samaria.

The settler movement and its supporters are hopeful that the housing process will continue to accelerate, to help realize Smotrich’s openly-stated desire to fill Judea and Samaria with a million Jewish residents. The trend does seem to be positive, considering Sunday’s Cabinet decision, made as an amendment to a 1996 government decision, to lop off several permission stages in the approval process.

The Israeli Left wasted no time in criticizing the newest round of approvals and the easing of planning requirements.

“We are already in a big crisis with the Americans,” Opposition leader Yair Lapid told Israel Hayom, “and this kind of behavior causes damage at a time when we need them. The Americans are rushing to an agreement with Iran, and if we want to take risks regarding this, then this government is really insane.”

The post ‘Crazy numbers’ – record amount of housing approvals for Judea and Samaria appeared first on World Israel News.

Experts say that a swift end to dollar dependence may not be possible, but more and more countries are signalling their intent to reduce reliance on the US greenback

A new president for BRICS groupings finance arm must steer geopolitical storms from outside – as well as within

Since its formation in 2006, the BRICS group has only accepted one new member in 2010. Now, 19 countries have formally or informally approached the body to become members as it prepares to hold its annual summit in South Africa

U.S. State Department equates deaths of terrorists and civilians, slams potential expansion of Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.

By World Israel News Staff

The State Department condemned vandalism and clashes in a Palestinian Authority-controlled town following the murder of four Israelis outside of a nearby Jewish community, emphasizing that the Biden administration expects the Israeli government to prosecute Israelis who burned cars and damaged property in the village.

“Accountability and justice should be pursued with equal rigor in all cases of extremist violence, and we welcome the IDF’s condemnation of these acts and expect the Israeli Government to ensure full accountability and legal prosecution for those responsible for these attacks, in addition to compensation for lost homes and property,” said Deputy State Department Spokesman Vedant Patel in a press briefing on Wednesday afternoon.

While Patel briefly mentioned the terror attack against Jewish civilians in Eli that triggered the vandalism in the Palestinian town, his statements were mainly focused on criticizing Israel for plans to potentially expand Jewish construction in the area.

Patel reiterated the Biden administration’s opposition to the expansion and growth of Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, after a reporter asked about approval for 1,000 new homes in Eli following the deadly terror attack on the outskirts of the town.

“We’ve been very clear about this, that unilateral actions such as this one, such as settlement advancement, will only incite tensions and undermine the prospect of a two-state solution,” he said.

Patel repeated the cycle of violence narrative, in which he did not distinguish between the deaths of armed Palestinians engaged in firefights with Israeli troops, and unarmed Israeli civilians who were slain in terror attacks.

“We have condemned the ongoing continuation of violence in Israel and the West Bank in recent weeks that yes, has killed and injured Palestinians and Israelis,” Patel said.

“And this is something that we’re going to continue to work directly with the Palestinian Authority on to promote steps towards de-escalation as well as work closely with our Israeli partners also.

The post Israel must ensure ‘accountability’ against ‘extremist settler violence,’ says Biden admin appeared first on World Israel News.

The inspiring efforts of a local leader in Novovorontsovka to reopen wells show what is possible – and what is at risk

The IDF also mapped for destruction the homes of the terrorists who killed four Israeli civilians near Eli.

By JNS

The Israel Defense Forces demolished the home of Palestinian terrorist Kamel Jouri in Shechem (Nablus) on Thursday morning.

Jouri and another terrorist killed Staff-Sgt. Ido Baruch, 21, in a drive-by shooting near Shavei Shomron in northern Samaria in February.

During Thursday’s demolition operation in the city’s Mahfiya neighborhood, explosives were thrown and shots were fired at Israeli troops. Stones and burning tires were also thrown.

Israeli forces last week demolished the Nablus home of the second terrorist, Osama Tawil.

Last month, the IDF mapped for demolition the home, also in Nablus, of Hasam Bassam Bashir Aslim, who directed the attack.

Baruch was securing a civilian march near Shavei Shomron when he was shot from a moving vehicle. He was evacuated to Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba, where he died of his wounds.

Israeli forces arrested Tawil and Jouri in February.

Homes of Eli terrorists mapped for demolition

On Wednesday night, the IDF mapped for demolition the homes of the terrorists who killed four Israeli civilians and wounded four others near the town of Eli in the Binyamin region of Samaria.

Muhannad Faleh Shehadeh, 24, and Khaled Mustafa Sabah, 25, were members of Hamas. Both came from the village of Urif, near Nablus.

The attack took place at the entrance to a restaurant at a gas station on Route 60 located below Eli, which is north of Ramallah and south of Nablus (Shechem).

Shehadeh was shot dead by an Israeli civilian at the scene of the attack, while Sabrah fled the scene in a stolen vehicle which he abandoned for a taxi. He was killed by Israeli special forces some two hours after the attack.

Six terror suspects apprehended in Judea and Samaria

IDF, Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) and Border Police forces arrested six terror suspects throughout Judea and Samaria and in the Jordan Valley region overnight Wednesday.

Four of the suspects were captured during operations in the villages of Doha, Ubeidiya, Silwad and the Dheisheh refugee camp near Bethlehem.

Violent clashes erupted in Doha, and the fighters responded with non-lethal measures to disperse rioters, according to the IDF. During the operation in the Dheisheh refugee camp, suspects threw stones and launched fireworks at the forces.

The fifth suspect, a resident of the Aqbat Jabr refugee camp in Jericho, was involved in shooting attacks against IDF forces, according to the military.

The final suspect was arrested in Hebron. Three guns, ammunition and radios were found during the operation, according to the IDF.

No Israeli casualties were reported.

The post Israel demolishes home of IDF soldier’s killer appeared first on World Israel News.

Aleeza Ben Shalom, a matchmaker and dating coach from Israel featured in Netflix’s ‘Jewish Matchmaking’ explains how to make successful matches.

The post WATCH: Netflix’s Jewish matchmaker appeared first on World Israel News.

People arrested for protesting outside court say Suella Braverman’s latest clampdown won’t deter them

African Peace Initiative Seeks to End War in Eastern Europe

By Abayomi Azikiwe, June 21, 2023

African Union (AU) member-states have refused to remain silent on the crisis between the Russian Federation and Ukraine since the beginning of the …

The post Selected Articles: African Peace Initiative Seeks to End War in Eastern Europe appeared first on Global Research.