Joint statement of Pope Francis and Morocco’s King Mohammed VI
On March 30, at the opportunity of the Pope’s visit to Morocco, King Mohammed VI and Pope Francis issued a joint statement, reportedly unscheduled, about the need to protect and preserve freedom of worship for the three monotheistic religions: “We consider it important to preserve the Holy City of Jerusalem/Al-Quds Acharif as the common patrimony of […]
Demolitions in Shuafat
Shuafat was again targeted, twice: a school was demolished on March 19 and a residential building was demolished in April 2. Until a year ago Israeli authorities were avoiding entering Shuafat to demolish structures located beyond the separation barrier (but within Jerusalem municipal boundaries). It seems that since the Israeli police demolished 21 shops last November, this kind of operations has […]
Bab al Rahme – Tensions continue
Court’s temporary order to close Bab Al Rahme –On Sunday March 17, the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court issued a temporary order to close the site of Bab Al Rahme located near the Mercy gate/Golden Gate, until legal proceedings are completed and gave the Waqf 60 days to respond. Jordan condemned the decision and rejected the authority of the court. Notably, […]
The Jerusalem municipality and Elad jointly advance the expansion of Elad’s activities in Abu Tor
Jerusalem municipality has submitted a request to Jerusalem District Planning Committee to change the status of the “Peace Forest” so as to allow Elad organization to develop tourist activities on the site (for a description of Elad’s projects there, see our report here). One of Elad’s projects consists in the establishment of an Omega/zip line, to […]
Special Issue: Jerusalem & the 2019 Israeli Elections Campaign Anticipating & Prioritizing Potential Israeli Government Actions in the Jerusalem Area
Like most people, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is a creature of habits – and one of those habits relates to how he uses the issue of Jerusalem in elections. In the past, Netanyahu has repeatedly used last-minute Jerusalem related events in order to energize his base. For example, in 1996, he engaged in the […]
The Jerusalem Aerial Cable Car: Plan Deposited for Public Review
On January 28, the Ministry of Interior deposited for public review the plan for the Old City aerial cable car (published in local newspaper). Interested parties now have 60 days to submit any objections to the plan. After this period, a public hearing is to take place, before moving the plan to final approval. The […]
Imminent Eviction in Sheikh Jarrah: The Sabbagh Family
The eviction of forty members of the Sabbagh family (including 30 children) from their home in Sheikh Jarrah is closer than ever. On November 15th, 2018, the Israeli Supreme Court rejected the family’s appeal against a 2012 decision of the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court that paved the way for the eviction (that petition was rejected based […]
Opening of the Segregated Road in Greater Jerusalem: A Major Step Towards de facto Annexation of Area C
On January 9, Israeli authorities opened a stretch of road northeast of Jerusalem, more than 4.5 km in length. Officially called Route 4370, this stretch of road is better known as the “apartheid Road,” due to the 8-meter-high wall running down its center. The purpose of that wall: to relegate Palestinian traffic to the two-lane […]
Accelerating the Pace for Construction of E-2
On December 26, 2018 – while most of the world was busy with the Christmas/New Year’s holidays – the Israeli government quietly notified the High Court of Justice that it had transferred 1182 dunams (291 acres) to the Israeli Ministry of Housing for the construction of a new “neighborhood” of the Efrat settlement to be […]
Reflections on Jerusalem, One Year After Trump Policy Shift
On December 6, 2017, President Trump broke with longstanding U.S. policy – dating back to before 1948 and the birth of the modern state of Israel – and recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Now, just over a year later and on the eve of 2019, we offer these reflections on what this policy […]