At a Knesset meeting of the Land of Israel Caucus on ending a building freeze in the settlement of Ma’ale Adumim, east of Jerusalem, Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid blames the lack of building on a lack of peace talks, and says he would cut a deal with the US to make sure Israel could build there.
“We don’t build since building today, without a diplomatic process, will create a diplomatic crisis that will hurt our national security. If Ma’ale Adumim is staying part of Israel no matter what, why will that create a diplomatic crisis? Since we talk with the world in terms of all or nothing. Either build everywhere or nowhere at all. That’s not really the situation,” he says. ”
The Israeli settlement of Ma’ale Adumin, in the West Bank, February 25, 2016 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
“If I were prime minister, in three weeks I could make a deal that says we can freeze building outside the blocs in exchange for building in the blocs: Etzion Bloc, Ma’ale Adumim, Ariel.”
His statement comes a day before US Vice President Joe Biden is due to visit Israel. Biden’s 2010 visit was marred by an announcement of building starts in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo, an area Israel effectively annexed.
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