Al-Shabaka Policy Brief Policy Al-Shabaka March 2018 ISRAEL’S ANNEXATION CRUSADE IN JERUSALEM: THE ROLE OF MA’ALE ADUMIM AND THE E1 CORRIDOR By Zena Agha Overview This policy brief explores the implications of In recent months, Israel has made a series of annexation in the Jerusalem area, specifically the impact of the annexation of the city-settlement of
[email protected] relentless attempts to annex settlements bordering Jerusalem. The most ambitious: The Greater Ma’ale Adumim and the parcel of land known as Jerusalem bill, which sought to annex Ma’ale E1, which connects it to Jerusalem. It shows how Adumim, Givat Zeev, Beitar Illit, and the Etzion bloc the annexation of these spaces would preclude a – a settlement cluster between Jerusalem and Hebron future Palestinian state by effectively cutting off –and which was scheduled for approval by the Israeli the northern and southern West Bank from each Ministerial Committee for Legislation at the end of other. Such annexation also illustrates Israel’s October 2017.1 Its ultimate aim was to “Judaize” methods of colonization throughout the OPT: land Jerusalem through demographic gerrymandering and confiscation, creeping annexation, demographic territorial expansion. manipulation, and population transfer. The brief concludes with recommendations for what the While Netanyahu delayed the bill indefinitely due international community, the Palestinian Authority to pressure from the United States, which was (PA), and Palestinians themselves can do to stem this concerned that it would hinder efforts to resurrect catastrophic outcome. peace talks, the intent behind it lives on in other measures. In the wake of US President Donald Annexation from the First Days of Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital Occupation in December 2017, Israel has ramped up efforts to annex the land and change the demographic makeup On June 27, 1967, 20 days after the Israeli Army www.Al-Shabaka.org of Jerusalem.