Friday, January 01, 2010

29 MKs Challenge Construction Ban in Letter to PM


Avi Yellin 29 MKs
A7 News

Nearly 30 members of Knesset sent a joint letter to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu (Likud) this week challenging the government’s current ban on Jewish construction in Judea and Samaria. The letter, initiated by the Matot Arim organization in cooperation with Knesset House Committee Chairman Yariv Levin (Likud) and opposition MK Uri Ariel (National Union), claims that because of the colossal infringement of human rights resulting from the construction ban, the policy violates Israel’s Basic Law and would require extensive and protracted legislation in order to be legally implemented. Suzie Dym of Matot Arim told Israel National News the letter signed by 29 members of Knesset will – in addition to focusing on the human rights issues and dubious legality of the policy – take the struggle against the construction ban to an entirely new level. “Until now there has been shock at the infringement of human rights resulting from the freeze. This is what has been dealt with up to now. But this letter is asserting that the problem is not only about human rights. The lawmakers who signed the document are saying that they as elected officials know that the Zionist enterprise requires an extensive momentum of Jewish construction in Judea and Samaria. This construction is central to the Jewish people, to the Zionist endeavor and to the security of Israel.”

The letter was signed by 29 parliamentarians from seven different political factions representing a wide spectrum of Israeli society. According to Dym, the State of Israel is a representative democracy and therefore a letter to the prime minister signed by such a large number of lawmakers should have sweeping implications and be honored by the prime minister and defense minister on a policy level.

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