The verbal assaults against Prime Minister Binyamin from the political right are reminiscent of his first term in office about a decade ago, signaling his still has the gift of gab but consistently falls short on delivery. Once again, the prime minister is proving his word is far from reliable, and what he says in far from what he means.

An Arutz-7 report quoting Makor Rishon correspondent Ariel Kahane states the prime minister turned down requests for building permits for housing units in the capital, citing 130 units in the Har Homa area and an additional 30 units in Pisgat Ze’ev. Despite both areas being an integral part of the capital, they are views as “occupied” by the United States since like the Kosel, Ramat Eshkol and other areas, they were liberated from Jordanian occupation in the June 1967 Six Day War. The prime minister did however approve 20 housing units in the Ramot neighborhood.

Ichud HaLeumi MK Uri Ariel for example stated that while Ehud Olmert was a failure, Netanyahu outright surrendered. Veteran yishuv leader Daniela Weiss called the prime minister a “doormat”, plain and simple, citing the failures of right-wing governments from Begin, to Shamir to today, all having made major land concessions, turning portions of Eretz Yisrael over to Israel’s enemies. She remains confident that a grassroots resistance to the current administration will wage a formidable battle against Netanyahu.

In Betar Illit, the bad news hit today as well, with officials receiving the official documentation of a construction freeze, with IDF Civil Administration officials arriving at the area known as Givat Bet, distributing the orders to the various officials in the area. Once again, the prime minister announced approved started projects would be permitted to continue, as was reiterated by Minister Dr. Binyamin Begin, but here, in Betar Illit; it appears the approval of 300 housing units is being ignored.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who is in charge of the building in Yehuda and Shomron, is not taking any chances. While he lacks manpower for certain security tasks, he has already ordered increasing the number of Civil Administration inspectors from 14 to 40, to make certain the Jews are not building behind his back. The same inspectors continue to turn a blind eye to widespread illegal construction in the Arab sector, not just in Yehuda and Shomron, but in the Negev, the Galil, and even in Yerushalayim.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)