A state planning committee on Monday ruled to delay granting further approval of a major construction plan in east Jerusalem citing the need for an environmental impact study.
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The Jerusalem District Planning and Building Committee has now decided against moving forward with the building up to 9,000 homes in Atarot, north of Jerusalem, earmarked for ultra-Orthodox Jews.
The plan had received preliminary approval last month but met with heavy US opposition to the project.
Sunday saw the forum commission an environmental impact study for the project, without setting a timeline for further discussions on the plan.
A source privy to the committee's work said it is likely the study's findings will be presented in 45 days, adding that "the government won't interfere with the work of the professional echelon," thus avoiding unnecessary delays in the Environmental Protection Ministry or the zoning committee's work.
The Atarot project was discussed Sunday in a conversation between Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who stressed that the project "wasn't promoted even during the time of the Netanyahu and Trump administrations."
A State Department spokesperson said Blinken urged Israel and the Palestinians to refrain from any unilateral steps and noted that "advancing settlement activity" could undercut any efforts to negotiate a two-state solution to their conflict.
Bennett reportedly told Blinken that the issue was still being studied and stressed that the government will not interfere in the zoning committee's work.
Critics of the settlement enterprise contend that the proposed construction in the area between east Jerusalem and the West Bank city of Ramallah would further dim any Palestinian hopes for a future state.
"We hope the government takes advantage of the time to reexamine the damage the plan has on the chance for peace, the development of Jerusalem, and Israel's relations with the United States," left-wing NGO Peace Now said.
Committee member Ofer Berkovitch, who heads the "Hitorerut in Jerusalem" political movement, opposed the delay, saying the plan "could have been pushed through while it waits for the completion of the environmental impact study. One wonders what this type of study wasn't commissioned beforehand. I sincerely hope the government isn't using environmental issues as an excuse."
Berkovitch's movement state that it is "a political party and social movement for Jerusalemites who care about the city and are ready to fight for the future of Jerusalem."
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