Ma’ale Adumim Annexation bill
In early July, a group of Knesset Members representing every party in the coalition signed onto and introduced legislation to annex the settlement of Maale Adumim to Israel. The bill enjoys the active support of Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein (Likud). It is also supported by Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (Jewish Home party). Supporters of the bill commissioned a poll which […]
Recent Spate of Settlement Announcements – details/analysis
During July 2016, there were several official Israeli government announcements related to the advancement of construction in East Jerusalem settlements. On 13 July 2016, the Jerusalem Municipality Planning and Construction Committee granted building permits for 90 new units in the settlement of Gilo. These permits pertain to four buildings, two of which will have 22 units each, […]
The Uptick in East Jerusalem Demolitions
The frequency and intensity of Israeli demolitions of Palestinian homes and properties in East Jerusalem [as a separate issue from demolitions in the West Bank and especially in Area C] has been increasing in recent months, and reached even higher levels in July 2016 (with 20 structures demolished on July 26 alone, all for alleged building violations; […]
New housing units in Maale Adumim, Ramot; Har Homa and Beit Safafa
The past week saw a spate of terrorist attacks, both in the West Bank and inside Israel. Rather than responding with an announcement of any policies actually geared to stopping/preventing further violence, the Netanyahu government – predictably – exploited the attacks to announce new settlement approvals, both for the West Bank and East Jerusalem. All […]
The wrong way to divide Jerusalem
June 9 saw the publication of a new piece of major analysis by Daniel Seidemann: “Dividing Jerusalem, Solidifying Occupation.” The key elements of this analysis are summarized below. The realization that the status quo is unsustainable finds expression in a slew of recent proposals calling for dividing the city, most notably one from Israeli opposition […]
A new settlement enclave in Silwan – Batan al Hawa
On June 15, the Jerusalem Local Planning Committee approved a building permit for the construction by Israeli settlers of a 4-story building located in the section of Silwan known as Batan al-Hawa (map). The decision of the Committee to now approve the building permit was made without giving an opportunity to Palestinian residents to voice […]
Proposed Annexation of Maale Adumim
On June 1, 2016, the Jerusalem Post published an article entitled, “Annexing Ma’aleh Adumim would end any peace process.” As an issue in the current political debate, the background to this story dates back to March 2016, when Avigdor Lieberman’s party Yisrael Beytenu proposed a bill allowing extension of Israeli planning and construction law to the West […]
Keeping a Close Eye on the Temple Mount/Haram al Sharif
Following a protracted period of violence/tensions surrounding the Temple Mount/Haram al Sharif, the site has been relatively out of the spotlight since the Israeli-Jordanian understanding of October 2015. This reflects a combination of Israeli restraint and determined, responsible policing (including arrest of demonstrators). A concrete and notable result was the unexpected quiet in and around the site during […]
East Jerusalem: Emerging Patterns
Building legally (i.e., with the required building permits issued by Israeli authorities) is virtually non-existent as an option for Palestinians living in East Jerusalem. The numbers tell the story: In 1967, there were 69,000 Palestinian residents in East Jerusalem, living in 12,600 housing units. In 2016, there are more than 320,000 Palestinian inhabitants in East […]
Church Attacked (again) in Jerusalem
While tensions in Jerusalem continue to remain on a low simmer (rather than a rolling boil), this week saw another attack on a Jerusalem church, this time the Dormition Abbey, located just outside the Old City’s Zion Gate. On January 17th, Hebrew-language anti-Christian hate graffiti was scrawled across walls inside the abbey. On 1/20, two Israeli teens were arrested for […]