Israel after "Greater Jerusalem" through hotel scheme

The Zionist regime is set to approve government grants for building hotels in the 1967-Occupied Palestinian Territories, particularly in Occupied al-Quds ('Jerusalem'), which will speed up the establishment of Israel's plans for "Greater Jerusalem". Haaretz newspaper has described the government's decision to approve a draft resolution as the first of its kind.

An Israeli law of 1959 only allows governments to give loans and grants for construction purposes within 'Israel' itself. The latest move will give the go-ahead for hotels to be built inside illegal settlements on occupied territory near al-Quds, the most notable being Ma'aleh Adumin and the Gush Etzion bloc to the south of the holy city.

According to Haaretz, the draft claimed that an additional 9,500 hotel rooms will be needed to accommodate the increasing number of tourists coming to 'Jerusalem' from around the world.

Critics of the scheme contend that the shortage of hotel rooms is a side-issue, and that the main reason for the proposal to build hotels in the illegal settlements is to boost Israel's Judaisation plans for "Greater Jerusalem" and take even more Palestinian land. An article in Haarez on 1 August has referred to "the prime minister's policy of de facto annexation of the West Bank".