Israel's Housing Minister Effi Eitam pledged Monday to continue building in Jewish settlements in the West Bank, despite the introduction of the US-backed road map peace plan.
Eitam, leader of the right-wing National Religious Party, said in an interivew that "the construction in Judea and Samaria (West Bank) shall continue."
He said the construction is underway to fulfill the needs of "natural growth," which he described as including the offspring of Israelis in the West Bank and Gaza as well as other Israelis who would like to move there.
In all, the Jewish population in these areas tops 200,000 and grew more than five percent in the past year, Eitam told Israel Radio. Among the current construction projects is a new neighborhood for 500 families in Ma'aleh Adumim settlement, the Israeli minister said. (Albawaba.com)
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