One thousand new housing units for Jews will be built in the Etzion Bloc, in Judea, the Minister of Construction and Housing annnounced.

Minister Uri Ariel (Bayit Yehudi) met Wednesday with the Etzion Bloc Regional Council head Davidi Perl and discussed continued construction in the region, despite international pressure not to build homes for Jews there.

The minister decided, in the course of the meeting, to make sure that “meaningful progress” takes place as regards several construction plans in the region. This includes the beginning of the planning process for a new 1,000-home neighborhood in the Gvaot neighborhood in Alon Shvut.

The planned homes will be built in addition to 560 units that are already being planned and have been approved by the Defense Minister.

Perl thanked the minister after the meeting and said, “I am glad that we are receiving broad support from the government in strengthening and developing the region.”

The United States expressed its displeasure Thursday with reported Israeli plans for building about 1,000 other homes for Jews in Samaria. It seems the U.S. was not aware of the plans announced for the additional 1,000 homes in the Etzion Bloc.