New Settlement Construction (Ma’ale Adumim Area)
The second centerpiece of Netanyahu’s October 2 appearance is equally disturbing. The Washington Post quoted the Prime Minister as saying he was announcing a period of “enhanced development.” The Post went on: “’We will build thousands of housing units here,’” he [Netanyahu] said. “’We will add the industrial zone needed and the expansion needed to allow for […]
Uptick in Settlement Displacements: Shamasneh Family Evicted
In August we reported: Um Haroun in Sheikh Jarrah: The Palestinian community living in this area is facing intense harassment. This includes being targeted with additional proceeding of evictions and a systematic inspection of Palestinian properties by the Custodian General, who manages many of the property in that area. The most imminent eviction is the one […]
Expansion of Nof Zion on the Agenda
On 9/6, the Building Permit Sub-Committee convened to imminently approve permits for the construction of 176 new settlement units in the settlement of Nof Zion, an enclave located deep inside the Palestinian neighborhood of Jabal Mukkaber. This construction would be the second stage of the settlement, an extension of the 91 existing units that are […]
East Jerusalem Settlements — APPROVED
Major Settlements: A month ago, we reported in detail about 1800 units that were about to be approved in major East Jerusalem settlements. Since then, all these plans were approved – details are as follows: On July 4, the Regional Planning committee approved the 948 units in Pisgat Zeev, comprising: Town Plan 330530 (250 units); Town Plan 330506 (130 […]
Pending Jerusalem Legislative Initiatives: Strategic Shifts in Current Status & Potential Political Future of Jerusalem
Pending Jerusalem Legislative Initiatives: Strategic Shifts in Current Status & Potential Political Future of Jerusalem There are currently three highly significant legislative initiatives that are simultaneously being advanced in the Knesset related to Jerusalem. Each of these would have a far-reaching impact on the current status of Jerusalem and its environs in the West Bank, […]
Netayahu Unshackled: New & Dangerous Terms of Engagement on Jerusalem
At present, we are seeing three disparate trends in Jerusalem, each of which, on its own, represents a powerful dimension of the conflict: the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif crisis, embodying the religious-symbolic dimension where it is most intense; the settlements issue, representing the territorial dimension; and Jerusalem-related legislation, that deals with the thorny issue of the […]
The Latest Temple Mt/Haram al-Sharif Crisis – Provisional Post-Mortem
We are currently emerging from yet another acute crisis relating to the Temple Mount/Haram al Sharif. Hopefully, the worst is behind us, but that is far from certain. The events of the past three weeks have taken place in a context of the ascendancy in Jerusalem of radical religious movements of all the three monotheistic […]
Pending Legislation Seeks Historic Changes in Current Status & Potential Future of Jerusalem
There are currently three highly significant legislative initiatives that are simultaneously being advanced in the Knesset related to Jerusalem. Each of these would have a far-reaching impact on the current status of Jerusalem and its environs in the West Bank, the plight of East Jerusalem Palestinians under Israeli occupation and the prospects for any future […]
The Temple Mount Crisis
(and other news) Major New Crisis on the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif Where Things Stand The July 14 Attack The Immediate Aftermath of the Attack Is the Status Quo Under Threat Did the Closure Violate the Status Quo? Do the Metal Detectors Violate the Status Quo? Behind the Policy: Security or Politics? The Responsible Way Forward […]
The Settlement Floodgates Have Been Opened
What Has Happened Background/Context Policy Shift Paves Way for Major New Plans in Large Settlement Neighborhoods Strategic Shift Yields Major New Plans in Settlement Enclaves in Palestinian Neighborhoods “Routine” Settlement Expansion Thousands More Units (via another shift in policy/tactics?) What Has Happened Yesterday (July 4th, 2017), the Jerusalem Regional Planning Committee approved of a number […]