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Tenders Published for 805 Housing Units in East Jerusalem – First Time in a Year

This morning, the Housing Ministry published tenders for the construction of 805 housing units in Israeli neighborhoods beyond the Green Line in East Jerusalem – 460 housing units in Pisgat Ze’ev and 345 housing units in Ramot:

  • Tender No. 156/2019 – 263 housing units in Ramot (Country-Club Neighborhood)
  • Tender No. 157/2019 – 82 housing units in Ramot (Country-Club Neighborhood)
  • Tender No. 158/2019 – 210 housing units in Pisgat Ze’ev
  • Tender No. 159/2019 – 250 housing units in Pisgat Ze’ev (assisted living for the elderly)

Almost all tenders are according to plans approved during the last two years. These plans are intended to add housing units to the existing neighborhoods in a way that increases the density of the built-up area and does not actually expand the area on which the neighborhoods are spread.

Map of plans approved in recent years in Pisgat Zeev and Neve Yaacov

In recent years, the construction of the existing Israeli neighborhoods in East Jerusalem has almost reached full capacity in terms of the areas in which construction can be extended. There is still potential for several thousand housing units, mainly in Gilo and Har Homa, but the main planning is currently increasing density and adding housing units in the existing areas.

It should be noted that since 2014, when tenders were issued for 2,240 housing units in East Jerusalem, the number of housing units published in the East Jerusalem tender did not exceed 603 housing units.

Peace Now: Continued construction in East Jerusalem does not contribute to Jerusalem and does not contribute to Israel. As long as we have not reached a permanent agreement with the Palestinians on Israel’s borders, building beyond the Green Line is illegitimate and only harms the prospects for peace and trust between the sides.

Tenders are housing units for construction marketed by the government to contractors. The contractor with the winning bid builds the housing units and markets them to consumers.