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V11 Final.Indd:Opmaak 1 v11_final.indd:Opmaak 1 05-04-2007 12:41 Pagina 142 Lifta after Zionist planning Malkit Shoshan What to all appearances resembles a preservation and development project, is in fact a rewrite of history. A short survey of the life and times of a Palestinian village. In its present derelict, largely abandoned Palestinian village. It is of great significance that state, Lifta, a village just outside of Jerusalem, the plan does not ignore the many village remains; captures the moment of destruction of Palestinian on the contrary, these are deconstructed and life in 1948, when Israeli forces conquered it. become a central element of the new design, Lifta’s 2,000 villagers fled – mostly to East with dozens of them marked for preservation. In Jerusalem and the Ramallah area. However, addition, the natural scenery of the place – the unlike many of the 530 Palestinian villages and spring, trees, and terraces – is a major component towns also conquered and usually bulldozed of the plan, which strives to preserve the authentic during the war, many of Lifta’s 450 houses surroundings of Lifta. remained untouched; yet the village was never Israeli authorities took part in creating the ‘officially’ resettled. This does not mean that plan, and also gave it official approval, and for all the original houses remained vacant. Several this reason it is informative to observe the Jewish families did move (illegally) into former connection between state ideology and planning. Palestinian homes. Some of these families have Lifta has been partially in ruins since it was lived there for a number of decades, and seem conquered in 1948. The concomitant lands were to have become permanent residents. In another confiscated by the State. However, the center part of the village, people from the fringes of of the village was never rebuilt. Today, there are society have settled: drug addicts and dealers, some 55 Palestinian houses remaining from the run-away teenagers, as well as nature freaks. original 450, some standing intact while others Even so, several dozen houses, some now falling are almost entirely derelict. Several houses – apart, have remained empty. They stand as those closest to the road leading to Jerusalem – monuments marking the events that took place were occupied decades ago, by Jewish families here during the 1948 War. who still live there. These families apparently Over the years, Lifta has remained a different will not be evacuated when the new construction and unique place, for several reasons. plan is implemented. Geographically, it is part of the ‘new’ West The plan’s goal, as stated in the document, Jerusalem; however, it represents and symbolizes is to build residential areas, some of them the architecture and the topography of preserving the original houses that still exist in Palestinian towns. Lifta stayed put, as if frozen the village center. It includes plans to build areas in time. Topographically, it is located lower than for commerce, shops, public buildings, a hotel, its surroundings; this gives the feeling that Lifta and passages. In addition, some of the scenery somehow exists beneath the surface of the city, will remain untouched for the public to enjoy. it seems to occupy a different level of history, The trees, spring, terraces, natural stone, geography and society. Those who have remaining houses (complete and incomplete), and inhabited Lifta since 1948 are the ’others’, in the the olive oil processing plant are all originally context of the larger Israeli public. They live from Lifta. They even have character, like outside the borders of law and order, and even ‘distinctive texture’ and a unique ‘architectural outside our vision, since they usually go about nature.’ The plans are thus not in denial concerning their shady business down below, near the the Palestinian space of the village. On the village’s fountain. Many of Lifta’s refugees live contrary, they are aware of its advantages and today in East Jerusalem, not far from their village. use them, through the practices of preservation, Now, a new development plan intends to turn to elevate the touristic and commercial real- Lifta into exclusive real estate. The plan would estate value of the project. transform the village into an expensive residential This comes across clearly in the earlier master area, with shops, a hotel and open green areas, plan (plan 2351), which stresses that ‘the area while at the same time maintaining its village which is subject to directives of preservation and atmosphere and keeping some of its original renovation is to remain open to the public.’ Those buildings and structures. The plan as submitted who will visit the place, and not Lifta’s residents to the Jerusalem Municipality Planning Committee alone, will be able to enjoy the remains of the in 2004 was approved by a regional committee. renovated village, and access to it will not be Upon perusal, this plan, together with an denied in any way. The aesthetics and the archi - earlier development plan from the 1980s reveals tecture of the Palestinian ruins raise the value 11 Volume consistent attitudes for reshaping the abandoned of this space, and therefore will be professionally 142 14 v11_final.indd:Opmaak 1 05-04-2007 12:41 Pagina 144 1. More then 500 Palestinian villages destroyed and/or appropriated since 1948 2. Th Destroyed Palestinian villages, since 1948 1MBO CPSEFS &YJTUJOHCVJMEJOHT #VJMEJOHT GPSEFNPMJUJPO Lifta is an example of how planning tools are being abused by the Israeli government Lifta One nation – Palestine- is being brutally negated 3 F OPWBUJPODPNNFSDFBOEIPVTJOHB to conduct a territorial and demographical war against Palestine. 4QBUJBMIPVTJOHBSFB )PUFMT "OUJRVFTmOEJOHT )PVTJOH GPS SFOPWBUJPO /BUVSF SFTFSWF (PWFSONFOUBMJOTUJUVUJPOT 1VCMJDCVJMEJOHT 0QFOMBOETDBQF -BOETDBQFEFTJHO Lifta 0QFOQVCMJDTQBDF /FX SPBE Jerusalem 1BTTBHFVOEFSBQQSPWFE SPBE 1VCMJDQBSLJOH 4. The previous renovation plan for Lifta, based on plan n. 2351 5. The approuved renovation plan for Lifta, based on plan n. 6036 6. Ex 1MBOMBO CPSEFSEFS Renovation for public institutions &YJTUJOHCVJMEJOHT&YJTUJOHCVJMEJOHT Public buildings #VJMEJOHTVJMEJOHT GPSEFNPMJUJPOPSEFNPMJUJPO Planned nature reserve 3FOFOPWBUJPOUJPO DPNNFPNNFSDFBOEIPVTJOHBFBOEIPVTJOHBSFB Planned road 4Q4QBUJBMIPVTJOHBUJBMIPVTJOHBSFBFB Archeologic site )PUFMTFMT "OUJRVFTmOEJOHTUJRVFTmOEJOHT )PVTJOHPVTJOH GPSPS SFOFOPWBUJPOUJPO /BUVUVSF SFTFFTFSWF (PWFSONFONFOUBMJOTUJUVUJPOTUBMJOTUJUVUJPOT 1VCMJDCVJMEJOHTVCMJDCVJMEJOHT 0QFOMBOETFOMBOETDBQF -BOET-BOETDBQFEFTJHOFEFTJHO Now, a renovation project aims to turn Lifta into an expensive and exclusive 0QFOQVCMJDTQBFOQVCMJDTQBDF Jewish residential area, reinventing its history in the process.Th /FX/FX SPBEPBE 1BTTBHFVOEFSBQQBTTBHFVOEFSBQQSPWFEFE SPBEPBE 1VCMJDQBVCMJDQBSLJOHJOH &TI4I 5BIBUFM#BMBE 4FJGFE%JO 4DIPPM $FNFUFSZ 1POE &JO-JGUB $JTUFSO -JNF,JMO 8. Lifta in the context of Jerusalem 9. Jerusalem: A war of demography and territory The area of Lifta Jewish growth trend Palestinian growth trend Jerusalem old city The current municipal line of Jerusalem Destroyed Palestinian villages, since 1948 &TI4I 5BIBUFM#BMBE 4FJGFE%JO 4DIPPM $FNFUFSZ 1POE Israel uses Jerusalem to defi ne itself in the ever-expanding city. New buildings have to be made of stone&JO-J GtoUB show the eternal Jewish presence. Lifta $JTUFSO -JNF,JMO The Walls of Jerusalem – the old city 39.6% Arab 26.7% Palestinian 25.8% Palestinian 26.6% Palestinian 28.2% Palestinian 28.4% Pa 60.4% Jews 73.3% Israeli 74.2% Israeli 73.4% Israeli 71.8% Israeli 71.6% Is The location of destroyed Palestinian village Volume 11 Volume 144 14 v11_final.indd:Opmaak 1 05-04-2007 12:42 Pagina 145 e 1948 2. The area of Lifta’s renovation plan 3. Lifta 1948 Lifta 2006 1MBO CPSEFS &YJTUJOHCVJMEJOHT #VJMEJOHT GPSEFNPMJUJPO Since the Israeli army drove out the last of its Palestinian inhabitants in 1948, Lifta is a ghost town; 3 F O PWBAnotherUJPODPNN nFaSDFtionBOEI –PV ITJsOHraelB – is being invented (also) through national narratives 4QBUJBMIPVTJOHBSFB its former villagers live mainly in East Jerusalem and Ramallah. )PUFMT "OUJRVFTmOEJOHT )PVTJOH GPS SFOPWBUJPO /BUVSF SFTFSWF (PWFSONFOUBMJOTUJUVUJPOT 1VCMJDCVJMEJOHT 0QFOMBOETDBQF -BOETDBQFEFTJHO 0QFOQVCMJDTQBDF /FX SPBE 1BTTBHFVOEFSBQQSPWFE SPBE 1VCMJDQBSLJOH 0250 50m 6. Existing buildings under threat of appropriation 7. Lifta refugee/Yakub Udah ‘A friend of my mother used to live in this house. Hanging from the windowsills of her lovely house were the 1MBO CPSEFS most beautiful fl owerpots. As children we often secretly tried to pick the fl owers, but she always saw us and &YJTUJOHCVJMEJOHT said, ‘Carry these bags upstairs for me and you can pick a few fl owers’. Once upstairs, she explained to us that #VJMEJOHT GPSEFNPMJUJPO .FJ/BGUVBDINBTUFSQMBOGPSQSFTFSWBUJPO the picked fl owers would wilt quickly in the heat. And so we went home empty-handed.’ 3FOPWBUJPODPNNFSDFBOEIPVTJOHB $JTUFSO We go for picnics in Lifta, and I tell my kids all the village stories – about their grandfather, the neighbors, the 4QBUJBMIPVTJOHBSFB #PSEFSPGUIFNBTUFSQMBO animals. I sometimes think Lifta memories are even more vivid for them than for myself. And my own memories )PUFMT 5PCFBQQSPQSJBUFE seem to get fresher it’s as if the place reveals more and more of itself to me. "OUJRVFTmOEJOHT There are 37 Lifta refugees in East Jerusalem and Ramallah, and we have a Lifta Association; and now the internet )PVTJOH GPS SFOPWBUJPO makes it possible to keep in touch with those that have moved further away. We all want to return to our
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