Peace Now Settlement Watch News Flash: Netanyahu Renounces E1 Plan Following Peace Now's Exposure

News from Peace Now's (Israel) Settlement Watch:

This Monday (December 28, 2015) data from the latest Settlement Watch report was published as the main headline of the Haaretz Newspaper. The report, which was based on a freedom of information petition, exposed that the Ministry of housing is working on plans for 55,000 housing units in the settlements, over 8000 of them in E1. These findings also received significant international press coverage, including in the New York Times and the Washington Post. For the full report click here.

Due to our exposure, yesterday (December 29, 2015) Prime Minister Netanyahu renounced the plans for E1, arguing that these were done by former Minister Uri Ariel at his own initiative without the required authorization. Netanyahu also stated that the plans "have no standing and are non-binding." For a report on Netanyahu's response to the data we uncovered see this article in Ynetnews.

We are now calling on Minister Yoav Galant to cancel all of the plans exposed in the report and discontinue Uri Ariel's legacy. We are also asking the Attorney General of Israel to investigate the exposed funding of illegal construction by the Ministry of Housing.

We at Settlement Watch will continue to monitor and expose settlement developments in order to preserve the two state solution on the ground, create public debate, and challenge Israel's settlement policy.