Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu a7 News
Fifty American Jews on a unique visit to Israeli areas claimed by the Palestinian Authority are advising investors to skip over buying condominiums in Florida and to put their money in “our historical homeland.” “Our objective is to send a clear message to Washington and to U.S. President Barack Obama that Jews will continue to live in eastern Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria,” New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind said on the first leg of a four-day visit to those areas on Sunday.
Dov Hikind “Instead of investing in properties in Florida, we must consider buying homes in our historical homeland," he said. "We will show the Obama administration that Israel and Jews in the Diaspora will never accept [out orders where to live or where to build in our homeland. American Jews have an important obligation...to buy houses in these areas to secure their security and growth.”
President Obama has been trying to pressure Israel into enforcing a building freeze for Jews, as demanded by PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. The Netanyahu government has unofficially honored a partial freeze by not approving new projects.
However, thousands of previously approved units are being built in eastern Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. In addition, work also has begun on the infrastructure and the first stage of 800 new homes in areas within legal borders of towns where public tenders for construction are not necessary.
The America delegation is to visit the city of Ariel on Monday as well as the Jewish communities near Shechem in the center of Samaria.
On Tuesday, they are scheduled to visit the Gilad Farm outpost, Amona, where the government three years ago carried out a brutal expulsion with mounted police officers on horseback trampling young girls and boys, and Shdema, an area near Bethlehem which nationalist activists have prevented the government from handing over to PA Arabs.
The delegation will wind up its tour on Wednesday with a ceremony to lay a cornerstone at the Nof Etzion Jewish community in eastern Jerusalem.
Shomron (Samaria) Regional Council Chairman Gershon Mesika, who will welcome the visitors on Monday, said that he “hopes that their buying homes is only the first step towards their making aliyah [immigrating to Israe.
David Ha'ivri director of the Shomron Liaison Office noted, "Our office is fully prepared to follow through with all aspects of building and managing these properties for foreign investors and supporters. The homes built and owned by Jews who currently live in the Diaspora will be rented out to young families who are now on waiting lists to join our communities because of lack of available homes. We are currently working on a project with the Jewish community in Australia and expect to sell several before the end of the year."
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