A clandestine undertaking on behalf of Israel, the Jets and the Jews.

 
Times and Settlements

The lead editorial in today's Times displays the paper's typical exaggerated response to a minor expansion of several settlements.

The Times writes that "Israel's announcement yesterday that it would build 600 new homes in West Bank settlements is cause for despair." It claims that "the settlements trigger" violence and "the prolongation of the conflict."

The Times' main concern, however, is that the settlements cost a lot of money. "Even the cheery red-roofed bedroom settlements a few miles from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem are treated as if they were distant depressed towns," and receive certain subsidies.

Tellingly, the Times fails to mention that almost all of the housing units will be in Beitar Illit, located just outside of Jerusalem. The others will be in Maaleh Adumim (also just outside Jerusalem) and Ariel.

The Times' claim to be concerned about how Israel allocates its funds is extremely dubious. But in any event, with regard to the new units, their despair is unnecessary and without basis. The housing units in suburban Beitar Illit are for haredim who have moved from Jerusalem - which suffers from a housing shortage - to a couple of miles outside the city, where they can afford to reside in decent living conditions with their families. Undoubtedly this is preferable to cramping a large family into a two or three bedroom apartment in Jerusalem, both for the haredi families, and for Jerusalem, whose housing problems are thus somewhat alleviated.
posted on 10/03/2003