Shas Party leader Eli Yishai and party faction members toured the community of Betar Illit on Monday, meeting with Mayor Meir Rubinstein and other officials. Yishai emphasized the importance of continued construction in the chareidi community, the third largest in all of Yehuda and Shomron.
Yishai takes credit for thawing out the construction freeze, explaining he obtained a commitment from Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for the construction of an additional 800 housing units in Betar Illit, this over objections of the US administration.
Wrapping up a three-day shuttle diplomacy visit in the region, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice expressed her objections to the planned construction during a press conference in Jordan, stating the Israeli decision is contradictory to the Road Map plan.
Olmert however rejects accusations that his administration is in violation of the Road Map, stating the restrictions do not apply to Jerusalem, stressing there are no new “settlements” being constructed.
On Tuesday, according to conflicting reports, one cannot really know where Olmert is heading, with some sources indicating the construction freeze is still applicable.
Yishai stated that failure to make good on his word is tantamount to betrayal of Rav Ovadia Yosef, since the prime minister spoke with Shas’ spiritual leader on the phone, at which time he reportedly committed to the new construction.
In the meantime, beating Shas by a day, United Torah Judaism faction members were in Betar Illit on Sunday, calling on Shas to leave the coalition government, blaming Shas in part for the widespread freeze in construction. The posters calling for Shas’ resignation from the coalition were seen throughout Betar Illit, but Yishai states that not only is Shas not part of the freeze, but only as a result of his efforts has the ban on new building been lifted in Betar Illit and other areas.
Contradicting Yishai’s statements is Maale Adumim Mayor Benny Kashriel, who told reporters that nothing has changed in his city, adding the freeze on new construction projects remains. Kashriel stated he does not believe in Shas or the prime minister. Kashriel explained the prime minister is playing with Shas, buying time until the Pesach recess, adding the Knesset will not resume until May, giving Olmert additional time to advance his agenda, with the assistance of Shas. (Maale Adumim is the second largest city in Yehuda and Shomron).
The Likud opposition party is also calling on Shas to leave the government, stating Olmert is using them to advance his destructive policies. Opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu states Olmert needs time to continue negotiations with the Palestinian Authority, talks aimed at widespread Israeli concessions in Yerushalayim and elsewhere.
Likud MK Yuli Edelstein told the press that Shas is actually aware of the situation, and it is a matter of time until the current administration collapses. He added that Shas is remaining in the coalition in return for the promised construction in Betar Illit and Givat Ze’ev, where a new chareidi neighborhood is planned, at for this, is willing to pay a high price.
Edelstein predicts the government will not survive the summer session of Knesset which gets underway in May.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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Well I know I’m not voting for Shas again. They should have pulled out months ago. Right about now Gimmel is looking very good to me.
(Prediction: Labor, and not Shas, will be the party that brings down the current Knesset. This will happen on or soon after May 6, 2008 – Rosh Chodesh Iyar. See, on May 5, 2008 the current Knesset will have served 2 years, just long enough to get their government pension.)