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Israel Halts Feasibility Study on New Construction in West Bank
(AP-Washington Post) Prime Minister Netanyahu on Tuesday abruptly halted a plan to explore potential construction of new homes in West Bank settlements, saying it had created an "unnecessary confrontation" with the international community that threatened to weaken his campaign "to persuade elements in the international community to reach a better deal with Iran." The Housing Ministry said it had published bids seeking architectural firms to look into possible construction of 600,000 homes nationwide to ease a chronic housing crunch. An anti-settlement group said the plans included 20,000 apartments in the West Bank and 4,000 in eastern Jerusalem. Israeli officials said the matter involved a long-term feasibility study and no new construction had been approved. Any construction that does take place, they added, would be years away.