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Home , Gilo, Har Homa, Hizma, Ramat Eshkol, Teqoa

The Ghettoization of Arab Nazmi al-Ju'be1

Palestinians and Israelis are exchanging accusations over the outbreak of the current Intifada, and there are international protestations against the mutual violence. At the same time, voices calling for an end to the strategic Israeli violence devouring the land, altering the demography and creating an irreversible impediment to peace have vanished. Some people assume that upcoming negotiations will start from the point where the Camp and Taba negotiations ended, as if nothing at all has changed. This assumption is unrealistic and ignores the results of the de facto clashes on one hand, and the results of the work of Israeli bulldozers, on the other. Indeed, it may not be an exaggeration to

1 This article is based on the joint work of my colleagues in the Jerusalem Technical Team at the Department of Negotiations. I extend to them my greatest gratitude.

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Spring.p65 5 13/09/23, 01:31 ã say that it is too late to work towards an regions with a series of settlements in the independent national state with Jerusalem Etzion Bloc. This bloc consists of the as its capital, because a realistic settlement of Bitar Ellit, located between understanding of Israeli activities leads us the Arab communities of Wadi Fukeen and to conclude that is doing its best to Nahhaleen, and inhabited by religious ruin hopes of Palestinian independence, or settlers (followers of the Shas Movement), at least ruin the possibility for the and extending westwards to soon reach the Palestinian state to succeed. It may not be Hadassa area, thus effacing the Green premature to predict that the end-result of Line. these developments is the creation of The second settlement in the bloc is Kfar townships, or, at best isolated cantons that Etzion and all its branches. This is the are not viable and do not provide their oldest settlement south of and residents with a decent living wage. These extends to the highway joining the cantons will be forced to look east or west mountaintops of Jerusalem and . for political dependence for their survival. Then comes the settlement of Efrat, which In other words, what is happening on the occupies a series of mountaintops from the ground today is much more dangerous north to the south, thus closing the road than the outcome of the entire settlement between Bethlehem and Hebron and process since its inception three decades preventing the possibility of developing ago. the Bethlehem area southwards. The series is completed eastwards by the Crowning the Settlement Movement settlement of , which has not been The features of the Israeli undertaking in very attractive due to its location to the far Jerusalem and its environs have now east and its distance from the . become more apparent than they have That is why it is now being connected to a been since 1967. This undertaking resulted highway running south-north (the Za'tarah from a series of consecutive plans. These bypass road) towards eastern plans affected a series of areas in to connect up with Har Homa (Jabal Abu overlapping time and geography, having Ghneim) settlement and the east ring road. no clear connection between them. Only in Consequently, the Teqoa settlement will the last two years have the final touches only be minutes away from East and West been implemented. The Israelis have Jerusalem and will be a more attractive exploited the fact that the world is busy place for Israelis to live. The bypass ring with the events of September 11th, the road of Za'tarah will strangle the town of subsequent war on Afghanistan and Beit Sahour and make it impossible for it preparations for war on Iraq, and have tied to expand eastwards, while preventing the together all their previous endeavors. expansion of Za'tarah and al-Obeidiyyah villages westwards and rendering them The Isolation of Jerusalem separate villages and towns. With the completion of the streets and the The Outer Ring expansion of settlements as planned, the The South: This plan began by isolating Bethlehem area will become a semi- the Bethlehem area from its southern isolated island encircled between a large

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Spring.p65 7 13/09/23, 01:31 ã outer ring and a smaller inner ring, with no 'Azariyyah, , az-Zi'ayyim, and enough space for future expansion. 'Anata, preventing them from expanding The East: The eastern ring consists of eastwards. It is understood that these areas the group of settlements of Qedar, Ma'aleh are the vital framework for developing Adumim, Mishor Adumim and Kfar Arab Jerusalem, in particularly for Adumim (The Adumim Bloc). These constructing future industrial and settlements have been linked together and commercial areas. Closing the eastern gate will be connected to the Eastern Ring of the Jerusalem area is viewed, therefore, Road. Work on the tunnel connecting this as an extremely dangerous project certain bloc of settlements with Route No.1, to ruin the geographical basis for the peace which separates/connects East and West process ("land for peace") by separating Jerusalem and passes under Al-Masharif the northern part of the from its Mountain (), has been southern regions, and strangling Jerusalem completed. and preventing its linkage with Jordan. After the final touches to be completed The North: The eastern settlement bloc in coming weeks, it will be possible to (Ma'aleh Adumim) is connected to the travel between Ma'aleh Adumim and West Binyamin Settlement Bloc (north-east of Jerusalem in less than five minutes with Jerusalem) and is part of the northern ring. no obstacles. This settlement bloc is being However, it is not possible for Israel to inhabited now by more than 35,000 complete the circle between these two settlers (about 30,000 of these live in blocs because of the Arab areas that lie Ma'aleh Adumim alone). This bloc has an between Jerusalem and Ramallah. That is immense capability for expansion, as why two settlement blocs were demonstrated by plans that nearly join it constructed. The first was the Binyamin with the Jordan Valley and the . Bloc, made up of the settlements of This means a fifteen-fold increase in its Alamon, Adam, Sha'ar Binyamin, Kochav population. Ya'cov and Psagot. These settlements are Still, the most dangerous plan in the linked to each other by the eastern bypass eastern ring is what has been called the E1 road. This road is currently being plan, which is aimed at settling the connected with the eastern ring road and remaining vacant lands in the eastern the northern ring road. These settlements region. These lands are located between were successful in preventing the 'Anata, Az-Zi'ayyim and 'Azariyyah, on development of El-Bireh City eastwards. one side, and the Ma'aleh Adumim Bloc, Hizma, too, has been strangled between on the other. These plans have been ready the outer and inner rings. The Binyamin for some time and are now awaiting Bloc is being connected with the 'Atarot approval on the desk of the Israeli Industrial Area by the highway separating Minister of Defense. The E1 plan includes al-Ram and (a small section of of high-tech industrial areas, hotels and the road has not yet been paved due to the various areas for commercial services. Intifada and the closure of Qalandia This plan will consolidate the Ma'aleh Airport). Adumim settlement bloc and the total 'Atarot is now connected by highways strangling of the Palestinian areas of with the Tel Aviv highway and the Western

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Spring.p65 8 13/09/23, 01:31 ã Ring Road that passes west of separation is being completed through the and Shu'fat (work has been completed and expansion of Har Homa settlement and preparations are under way for consolidated by its linkage with the ring inaugurating it). 'Atarot is also connected road. This settlement has contributed to to the Givon Bloc (the settlements north- encircling the Bethlehem area between the west of Jerusalem) made up of the outer and inner rings. The remaining gap settlements of Giv'at Zeev, Givon, Ramot, in Jabal Al-Mukabbir and Sawahrah West Har Adar, Har Shmuel, in addition to Ofer area (south-) is being Camp (west of Rafat) and Qalandia separated by the ring road and prepared Airport. This project will be able to for settlement so as to be connected expand quickly because of its link to West eastwards with the Qedar and Ma'aleh Jerusalem through the western ring road Adumim settlements by a bridge linked to and the growing city of Modi'in. Work is Har Homa. already underway to expand the The North: The geographical continuity settlements in this area westwards along between the and the Arab the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv Northern Highway. quarters north of Jerusalem (Shu'fat and The strategic importance of this area lies Beit Hanina, which connect Jerusalem and not only in encircling the Palestinian Ramallah) has been disrupted by French villages north-west of Jerusalem and Hill and Ramat Eshkol. This separation isolating them from Jerusalem, but also in has been consolidated by the settlements encircling the area located between the of Rekhesh Shu'fat, Pisgat Zeev and Neve northern Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway and Ya'cov. the southern Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway (Bab al-Wad) so as to widen the narrow The Old City: With Jewish settler control road that prior to 1967 connected West established over the Jewish Quarter inside Jerusalem with the coastal plain. the Old City and the expansion of this quarter in all directions, settlement has The Inner Ring Road moved on to the other quarters of the Old City. The number of properties now under Most of the settlements in this ring are Israeli control outside the expanded located within the borders and are largely Jewish Quarter has risen to over 80. aimed at preventing the expansion of Arab Efforts are underway to control more Jerusalem, ensuring that it will not houses within the walls of the city. These develop, and imposing a de facto settlement plans are directed towards demographic situation that guarantees a consolidating the presence of settlers in greater number of Israelis not only in several areas, the biggest of which is the "unified Jerusalem," but also in Arab Burj Al-Laqlaq area (in the north-east Jerusalem. corner of the old city). Plans include the The South: The southern inner ring construction of tens of housing units. The consists of the settlements of Gilo, Giv'at second area is Sabrah (an extension of Suq Hamtus, Har Homa (more than one al-Khawajat that was destroyed by an hundred families already live there) and earthquake in 1927 and not renovated). It Eastern . These settlements isolate is expected that, through this Suq, the Jerusalem from the Bethlehem area. This expanded Jewish Quarter will be 9

Spring.p65 9 13/09/23, 01:31 ã connected to the settlement of 'Aqbat al- connects all the settlements surrounding Khaldiyyah by using the roofs of Al- Arab Jerusalem with . The 'Attareen and Al-Lahhameen Suqs. The road also consolidates the separation of buildings located in the Jaffa Gate area are Jerusalem from the Arab neighborhoods under heavy pressure from settler groups that fall outside the municipal borders, that exploit the acute economic crisis and such as 'Azariyyah, Abu Dis, Az-Zi'ayyim, massive debt facing small businesses in 'Anata, Hizma, Al-Ram, Al-Jeeb, Bir the Old City. Nabala and Beit Hanina (the old village Areas surrounding the Old City: Since which is already isolated from any the completion of the outer rings, focus is geographical expansion). These towns and now on several locations surrounding the villages will become encircled islands Old City. The Ras Al-'Amoud settlement is separated from their urban surroundings. completed, and preparations are under This road will also consolidate the way to annex the neighboring police settlement process and land confiscation station which will be moved to Ma'aleh on both of its sides. Adumim. Consequently, this settlement located in an Arab Quarter will be The "Security" Wall expanded. At the same time, and quickly, Despite that not all is known about this preparations are underway to expand the wall, including its final length in the settlement in Shaykh Jarrah (Shimon the Jerusalem area, it intends to complete Friend). A total of 200 housing units will Jerusalem's isolation from West Bank be constructed in this settlement project. towns. Entrance to the city will be from The other settlement bloc aims at three places only, namely, the Az-Zi'ayyim consolidating settlement in Silwan ('Ir Gate in the east, Abu Ghneim Gate in the David Settlement) by building housing south (the checkpoint near 's Tomb, units on a plot of land several dunams which will be included inside the wall, large that is twenty meters away from the will be moved to the east between Har southern wall (and is now being used as a Homa and Beit Sahour), and Qalandia parking lot). The last location we know of Gate in the north. Most probably, these is the Moscovitch project in the southwest gates will be connected by a wall, foothills of Abu Dis mountain. Prospects electrified barbed wires, trenches and for this settlement's construction will be cameras. In fact, the implementation of enhanced when the eastern ring road important parts of this wall has started in project is completed. The settlement will the south, the east, the northwest and the be directly located on the road's edge, north. However, we do not know what it which will directly connect it to West will look like over time, since several Jerusalem and Ma'aleh Adumim. As such, plans have been presented to date. it will constitute a bridge closing the remaining opening southeast of the city. Conclusion It is very easy now to envision the Israeli The Ring Road plans to stymie the peace process and This road encircles the current borders eliminate the possibility for a solution to of the Jerusalem Municipality and the Jerusalem problem, as has been

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Spring.p65 10 13/09/23, 01:31 ã demonstrated in this quick presentation This will lead to impoverishment, a based on maps, an analysis of Israel's decline in the standard of living, and the plans, and what is being implemented on confinement of its population in narrow, the ground. It will take two to three years closed areas. Furthermore, isolating to complete this project, after which it will Jerusalem from its vital economic be too late to discuss not only Jerusalem surroundings will aggravate the social as the capital of a Palestinian state, but it crisis and spur an increased crime rate. All will also be impossible to talk about a this will take place alongside the escalated Palestinian state. development of services and standard of Among the visible results of the Israeli living in West Jerusalem and surrounding policy is that Arab Jerusalem will lose all settlements. The final result of this policy possibilities for development and its will be the transformation of Arab residents will not have enough housing. Jerusalem into a ghetto and slum.

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