According to The Times of Israel newspaper, 560 houses are expected to be built in Ma'aleh Adumim, while 140 new units are to be erected in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramot and another 100 houses in the neighborhood of Har Homa.
According to the Haaretz newspaper, Israel has also approved the construction of 600 new housing units for Arabs in Givat Hamatos in East Jerusalem. However, Zeev Elkin, who is minister for Jerusalem affairs, criticized the decision, saying any houses for Arabs should be balanced through the construction of units for Jews in the same location.
Palestinians have been seeking the recognition of their independent state, proclaimed in 1988, in the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. The Israeli government refuses to recognize Palestine as an independent political and diplomatic entity, and builds settlements on the occupied areas, despite objections from the United Nations.
