Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu [8] said Jan. 22 he will be lifting restrictions on Israelis building settlements in East Jerusalem. The statement said [9], "My vision is to enact sovereignty over all the settlements." Immediately after the announcement, hundreds of building permits were approved by the municipal government. According to Haaretz, Netanyahu delayed [10] lifting restrictions for two weeks to wait for then-US president Barack Obama [11] to leave office. (The restrictions on Jerusalem's urban planning committee had been imposed in response to pressure from the Obama White House.) Netanyahu will be meeting with Obama's successor Donald Trump [12] at some point in the near future. In a statement to Reuters, Nabil Abu Rdainah, spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said: "We strongly condemn the Israeli decision to approve the construction." Netanyahu and his ministers also decided Jan. 22 to postpone discussion of annexing a West Bank settlement.
From Jurist [13], Jan. 23. Used with permission.
Note: The settlement in question is Ma'ale Adumim [14], on the outskirts of East Jerusalem. A bill for its annexation was introduced by Jewish Home party leader Naftali Bennett [15]. Netanyahu made clear he supports the bill, but said he wanted to consult with Donald Trump [16] before moving ahead with annexation. (Times of Israel [17]) Palestinian Bedouin communities were displaced [18] in the 1990s to make way for the Maale Adumim settlement.
