New York – In a visit to the national headquarters of Agudath Israel of America, Rabbi Meir Rubenstein, mayor of Beitar Illit, called on the American charedi community to help with the severe housing crisis in his city. “We have many communities in our city that desperately want to expand and build housing for young couples” said Rabbi Rubenstein. “Unfortunately due to the current freeze on new construction in Yehuda and Shomron, we are unable to.”
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Rabbi Rubenstein met Wednesday with the leadership of Agudath Israel to talk about the latest developments in the city. Beitar, an all charedi city in the Gush Etzion area is home to 7000 families with a total population of 40,000 people. In welcoming him to the Agudah Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, Agudath Israel Executive Vice President remarked how proud the American community is of Beitar with many in our community having children or other relatives living there.
In his remarks, the Mayor talked about the huge demand for housing in his growing community. With most young people being priced out of the housing market in Yerushalayim, there is a desperate need for additional housing solutions. Although land is available in Beitar they are prohibited from new construction due to the freeze. Rabbi Rubenstein pleaded with the Agudah group to use their political muscle and exert pressure on the Obama administration to suspend the current freeze primarily for Beitar and to make a distinction between communities like Beitar and other extreme and fringe communities in Judea and Shomron that may be given back in the context of a peace settlement.
The Mayor is currently on a trip to the United States to raise awareness of Beitar and to meet with potential investors.
Kudos to Agudah for pressuring Obama! We need to show unity and hopefully the Agudah can use their contacts in Washington to ease the pressure of the housing crisis in Beitar—where my cousins live! Only thru achdus will we be successful!!!!!!!!!
I LOVE BEITAR—ITS A BEAUTIFUL CITY!
the security council almost labeled the settlements as illegal which would be a prelude to universal economic sanctions. Even Netanyahu said we cant keep the status quo. As he put it new settlements are no longer the issue. now we are worried about the old ones. Now Agudah is speaking up? putting more pressure on Obama. But for his vote The entire UN would have voted against Israel. This is not a smart move.
I thought the freeze had been lifted.
Did they re-instate it, or is the mayor not up to the latest news???
It is mamash lunacy to spend money building homes and schools in settlements that are virtually certain to be demolished and given back to the Palestinians as part of any long-term settlement. Rubenstein seems not to have learned the lessons of Gush Katif. Does he want to be responsible for thousands of screaming yidden being dragged out of their homes and shuls by the security forces like we saw in Gaza except on a much larger scale. Let the government decide which settlements will remain as part of EY and which will have to be returned and only invest in the former, not the latter.
If these young couples cannot buy property in Yehuda v’Shomron what’s wrong with settling in the Galil or the Negev?
There is still plenty of space to build there.
This article does not sit well with me.
There are many ‘settlements’ in Israel that are facing pressure from the West to halt construction. For the most part, the Charedi world has remained totally quiet on this matter and focussed solely on getting money for their yeshivos; at times even voting for parties that gauranteed kolel stipends at the expense of the settlements. Now that there is a Charedi settlement which is being affected by this halt, charedim are being told to suddenly care about the issue???