The plans had drawn US criticism even before the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution demanding an end to Israel's settlement expansion on December 23, and it has been reported that the cancellation was ordered by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself.
In all, 492 permits for new Israeli homes in the settlements of Ramot and Ramat Shlomo, areas Israel captured in the 1967 Six Day war, had been up for approval.
"The prime minister said that while he supports construction in Jerusalem, we don't want to inflame the situation any further," Rubin said.
Israel wins at shell game! Local Comm removes 100s of permits from agenda, then promptly approves most deadly one: https://t.co/TaV4ZI0jbH
— Ir Amim Eng (@IrAmimAlerts) December 28, 2016
Despite the cancellation, the committee did approve the construction of a four-storey building for Jewish settlers in eastern Jerusalem, close to the Old City.
A spokesperson for activist organization Ir Amim explained that the request was issued by MALIH 73, a company managed by members of Jewish organization Ateret Cohanim.
"The building will be erected on a plot sold to the settlers by the Israeli General Custodian, which failed to promote the sale through a public tender process. The permit request doesn't even meet building regulations. Some fifteen Palestinian families in Batan al-Hawa were evicted by Ateret Cohanim during 2015 and dozens of other Palestinian families are threatened with eviction," the spokesperson told Sputnik.
The approval comes despite the aforementioned UNSC vote, which provoked uproar in the Israeli government.
The resolution stated unambiguously that Israel must immediately and completely cease all settlement activities on "occupied Palestinian territory," including in East Jerusalem.
The vote was carried 14-0, and was made possible by the US' abstention in the vote. Previously, the US has vetoed all such resolutions on Israeli settlement expansion.
In a statement, Netanyahu blasted the "shameful anti-Israel" resolution, and vowed not to abide by its terms. He is claimed to have summoned the US envoy to Israel, and ambassadors of the UNSC member states, in its wake, and vowed to provide US President-elect Donald Trump "ironclad information" the Obama administration was the key driver behind the resolution.
Salman Harfi, the Palestinian ambassador to France, said if Israeli authorities refuse to abide by the resolution, Palestine will appeal to the Security Council.
Benjamin Netanyahu cancelled a call with Theresa May because UK voted against illegal Israeli settlements. I say good on her.
— Mutaz Ahmed ✊🏾 (@MutazElNour) December 25, 2016
In 1979, the UN passed Security Council Resolution 446, which explicitly dubbed the settlements illegal, on the basis the land was seized by Israel in a war, and thus subject to Geneva Conventions that forbid construction on occupied territory.
Settlement expansion has exploded under Netanyahu's leadership. In June this year, plans to build 15,000 new settler units between the West Bank and al-Quds (Jerusalem) were unveiled. In December, the Knesset debated a bill that would've legalized a further 4,000 units in the West Bank.
