Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria should prepare for a massive influx of new residents, Minister Elkin said.
By: World Israel News Staff
Israel should prepare plans for one million Israeli residents living in Judea and Samaria, Jerusalem Affairs Minister Ze’ev Elkin said.
“This will happen – it is only a question of when,” Elkin told communal leaders from the region on Tuesday at a special conference on population growth in Judea and Samaria, the Jerusalem Post reported.
Elkin estimated that the population in Judea and Samaria can double in size in the next 10 to 20 years, depending on the pace of construction, which has been halted or significantly hindered at times at the behest of the US.
The minister pointed out that the current pace of housing is not satisfactory to facilitate the population growth, with less than 3,000 units built per year. A total of 100,000-120,000 new units are required to meet that crucial number, he said.
“Advance plans with all your might as if it is possible today, as if you could create a zoning plan for one thousand homes and execute it,” he urged the leaders. “If everyone does this, I believe that the numbers will become the reality of our lives.”
This massive population growth “will change the entire outlook with regard to diplomacy, security and settlements and will show everyone that there is no turning back here,” Elkin said.
Elkin also dismissed the notion of a Palestinian state.
“Halas [“enough” in Arabic] with the story of two states. There is no other option but the state of Israel, certainly between the Jordan [River] to the sea there will be one state,” he told the conference.