Olmert: Jerusalem Construction Will Continue

by Hillel Fendel
Arutz Sheva
June 16, 2008

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/126508

(IsraelNN.com) Prime Minister Ehud Olmert informed visiting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice that, despite her criticism, Israel will continue building in Jerusalem.
Rice, visiting Israel on Sunday and Monday for yet another attempt to extract Israeli concessions that she feels may bring an Israeli-Palestinian agreement closer, said that Israel's announced plans to build in Jerusalem are "having a negative effect."

Rice further said that the "continued building and the settlement activity has the potential to harm the negotiations going forward," called it a "vioation of the Roadmap," and said sternly that she plans to bring up the matter with Israeli officials.

Olmert: These Neighborhoods Will Remain IsraeliOlmert, meeting on Sunday with Rice, told her that the construction would continue "in the Jewish neighborhoods that are expected to remain Israeli under any agreement." He was referring most specifically to the latest-announced plan: the construction of 1,300 apartments in the hareidi-religious neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo.
Ramat Shlomo is situated east of Ramot and west of French Hill, upon hills that were totally barren during the 19 years they were under Jordanian control. Nearly a year ago, the Antiquities Authority announced that it had found in Ramat Shlomo the quarry that supplied the giant stones for the building of the Temple Mount.

The Jerusalem Municipality also announced, late last week, its approval of a 12-year-plan to build close to 40,000 new apartments in various city neighborhoods. Some of the apartments will be built in Gilo, Pisgat Ze'ev, Ramot and Har Homa - all located in areas formerly under Jordanian control.

Industry and Trade Minister Eli Yishai (Shas) made headlines when he came out strongly against Rice: "I would like to know how it would look if someone would say that the U.S. has no right to develop Washington... Rice doesn't consult with anyone before approving a new city in the U.S."