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Strategic Construction Plans in Jerusalem: Will the Biden Administration Weigh In?
(Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) Nadav Shragai - The question of the construction of two new neighborhoods in Jerusalem - Givat Hamatos, in the south of the city, and Atarot, in the north - is now on the table as part of contacts with the new U.S. administration. The Israel Land Authority recently awarded tenders to contractors to build the first 1,200 housing units in Givat Hamatos. Officials in Jerusalem stated that "there is no going back" on the decision, which was delayed for seven years due to political pressure. Plans call for 2,610 housing units for the Jewish population and more than 700 housing units for Arab residents. In Atarot, the Ministry of Housing plans for 8,000 housing units for Jews and 1,000 for Arabs on Jewish-owned land at the site of the British-built Jerusalem airport, which was shuttered during the Second Intifada as a result of Palestinian gunfire. The construction plan there was prepared over 20 years ago and was also delayed due to U.S. and EU political pressure.