Israel Approves Plan to Grant Palestinians 700 Building Permits in West Bank

Israel’s security cabinet has reportedly unanimously approved a plan introduced by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that will grant 700 building permits to Palestinians in the Israeli-controlled Area C of the West Bank, Israel’s KAN TV news reported. The cabinet will also provide 6,000 permits for homes in Jewish communities in the area. Palestinians have rarely been granted building permits in Area C, with the total number of approvals in recent years generally in the single digits. According to the Oslo Accords, Israel has full military and administrative control over Area C, which comprises about 60 percent of the West Bank’s territory. Almost all leaders of the Jewish communities in this area opposed the cabinet’s decision, alleging Netanyahu was succumbing to pressure from the United States. The verdict comes days in advance of senior White House adviser Jared Kushner’s visit to Israel and the region to promote the Trump administration’s Israeli-Palestinian peace plan.