Bibi: Israelis Free To Buy Property Anywhere in Jerusalem
Israelis may purchase property in all parts of Jerusalem, Benjamin Netanyahu said.
The Israeli prime minister’s comments Sunday to his Cabinet at its weekly meeting came after the U.S. State Department told Israel’s ambassador to the United States over the weekend that the Jewish state must halt a construction project in eastern Jerusalem.
“I would like to re-emphasize that the united Jerusalem is the capital of the Jewish people and of the State of Israel,” Netanyahu said. “Our sovereignty over it cannot be challenged. This means, inter alia, that residents of Jerusalem may purchase apartments in all parts of the city.
“(I)n recent years hundreds of apartments in Jewish neighborhoods and in the western part of the city have been purchased by or rented to Arab residents, and we did not interfere. This says that there is no ban on Arabs buying apartments in the western part of the city and there is no ban on Jews buying or building apartments in the eastern part of the city.
“I can only describe to myself what would happen if someone would propose that Jews could not live in certain neighborhoods in New York, London, Paris or Rome. There would certainly be a major international outcry. Accordingly, we cannot agree to such a decree in Jerusalem.”
The State Department summoned Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren to tell him that Israel must put a halt to the construction of an apartment project in eastern Jerusalem, according to Israeli news reports.
American philanthropist Irving Moskowitz purchased the land, on which the Shepherd Hotel sits and located near an Israeli compound housing several government ministries, in 1985. He plans to build 20 apartments there.
“The acquisition of the land that includes the Shepherd Hotel was legal and received the necessary renovation and construction,” according to a statement from the Municipality of Jerusalem.
“Not only were 20 apartments approved,” the statement says later, “but a number of conditions that include the preservation of the historic structure were prescribed by the committee.”
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we need 500 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Our Goal: 500 gifts during our Passover Pledge Drive!
