The rightist Israeli television channel
7 television quoted Kats as saying the Israel Railways has invested 3 million
Israeli shekel US$ 790,000 in planning the first section of a train line from
the central Israeli city of Rosh Ha'ayin to the West Bank city of Nablus via
the settlements of Barkan and Ariel.
According to the report, the planned
rail lines will run both east-west and north-south. Another will connect
settlements around Ramallah. In addition, the northern West Bank area will be
connected to Be'er Sheva, 150 kilometers to the south. The routes would feature
connections to the existing train routes connecting the Haifa area with
Ashkelon.
The report said that Katz made the
remarks in a meeting with party loyalists in the Haifa area. Israeli attorney
Aviad Visoly, who heads the Likud chapter in the Haifa area, told channel 7
that Katz "is among those non-defeatists who feel that we are going to
remain in Judea and Samaria (West Bank) for a long, long time."
Visoly said added that planning rail
tracks can take well over a decade, beginning with planning the basic route,
checking ownership of the various tracts of land involved, and more.
The Israeli Defense Ministry, which is
in charge of granting building permits in the territories, said it has not
heard of the new plan.
Israel Railways said in a press
statement that "this is merely preliminary planning, at a cost of almost 3
million shekel, for a railway line between Rosh Ha'ayin and Ariel."
"Planning for the section between Ariel and Nablus is still at the
conceptual stage."
Katz, who visited the West Bank in May
to inaugurate a new road, said the ministry was promoting a railway through the
West Bank that would link up with both the historic Valley Train to Haifa and
the Jerusalem line.
Meanwhile, Katz said that despite the
announcement of direct talks with the Palestinian Authority and the
accompanying PA threats regarding continued settlement construction in
Palestinian territories, "the freeze ends on midnight of Sept. 26, and
it will not be renewed." He said that a minute later, the heads of West
Bank Jewish settlements will sign "thousands" of building permits,
leading to construction on a vast scale.
Building in West Bank needs the approval
of Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak. Asked if Barak can hold up the
construction by not granting his signature, Visoly said that anywhere there is
already an approved building plan — as there is in many settlements — Barak's
signature is not needed.
