World IN BRIEF : ISRAEL : Housing Plans May Break Vow to U.S.

A report by Israel’s Housing Ministry on plans for home construction for new Soviet immigrants indicates that more than 10,000 units are to be located in the occupied Arab territories, despite pledges by the government to the Bush Administration to place all the homes inside Israel. The document, issued internally by the ministry, suggests that the government of Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir is flouting promises that were used to obtain $400 million in loan guarantees for housing construction from the United States, critics said. Spokesmen for Shamir argued that there had been no change in policy, since the building plan has not been officially adopted by the government.