JERUSALEM (JTA) — Settlement construction dropped sharply in the third quarter of 2018, according to new statistics released by the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics.
According to the CBS’ figures, reported on Wednesday in The Jerusalem Post, housing starts in the disputed West Bank dipped by 52 percent compared to the previous quarter. Despite Israel’s right-wing government, which is widely seen as pro-settlement, housing starts were down a full 17 percent during the first three quarters of the year compared to the same period in 2017.
Following a series of terror attacks last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he would accelerate settlement construction.
