Meretz coalition party said urging halt to plan to double homes in Jordan Valley

7 November 2021, 9:29 pm

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Housing Minister Ze'ev Elkin arrives at the President's Residence in Jerusalem, for a group photo of the president and members of the new government, June 14, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90/File)

The left-wing Meretz coalition party is reportedly demanding a halt to Housing Minister Ze’ev Elkin’s plans to double the number of settler homes in the West Bank’s Jordan Valley.

Last month, Elkin announced his ministry’s plan to double the number of homes in the Jordan Valley, in order to reach 3,000 families living in the area by 2026. Elkin said the ministry plans to invest NIS 224 million ($70 million) to build 1,500 new homes in 21 settlements in the area. The homes have yet to be approved by the relevant authorities.

Channel 13 news says Meretz MKs Mossi Raz and Gaby Lasky today sent Elkin a letter saying their “patience has run out.”

“This government’s power lies in promoting issues we can agree on together,” they reportedly wrote. “This decision is far from that. We urge you to immediate halt the plan and not bring it for government approval.”