Former Likud minister Gideon Sa’ar on Sunday called on the two United States presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, to publicly support Israel’s right to build in Jerusalem.

Speaking at the Jerusalem Post conference in New York, Sa’ar pointed out that the Palestinian Arabs have building illegally to create contiguity between Ramallah and Jerusalem, and warned that if nothing is done on the matter, there will be an Arab majority in Jerusalem within 15 years.

He underlined the need to create a sequence of construction between Ma’aleh Adumim and Jerusalem and said, “I call on both candidates to declare that they will not place obstacles in our way in building in our capital.”

“The battle for Jerusalem will be determined using the facts on the ground,” said Sa’ar. “There is a de facto freeze on building for Jews, while Arabs build illegally.”

It has been revealed that the European Union has been funding illegal Arab construction in Judea and Samaria. The EU has been sharply criticized by Israel for this policy, which observers note is clearly meant to create “facts on the ground” in violation of the Oslo Accords.

Israel has responded by demolishing of several illegal, EU-funded structures, a move which the EU criticized.