Smotrich okays controversial settle | NYGazet

Finance minister announces 3,401 new homes near Ma’ale Adumim and 3,515 more in nearby area, reviving long-stalled E1 project seen by critics as strategic barrier to future Palestinian state; move signals push for de facto Israeli sovereignty in West Bank

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also holds a position in the Defense Ministry with oversight of settlement affairs, announced Wednesday he is approving the construction of 3,401 housing units in the E1 area near the West Bank settlement of Ma’... [3030 chars]