FACING A CROWD: A Palestinian woman whose house has been occupied by Jewish, settlers argued with Israelis who came to celebrate Jerusalem Day in the mainly Arab neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem. Wednesday, May 22, 2010
Jerusalem Under Occupation
Prepared by:
Israeli Violations Monitoring Department
Land Research Center - LRC
September - 2010 Team Leader Jamal Talab
Editors Yaqoub Odah Hiba Al Whoosh
Contributors Walid Habbas Hamed Qawasmeh
GIS Specialist & Designer Mohammed AlAmleh
LRC
Land Research Center - LRC Halhul - Hebron Palestine Tel: +970 - 2 - 2217239 Fax: +970 - 2 - 2290918 E-mail: [email protected] Web page: www.lrcj.org
I Jerusalem Under Occupation
Land Research Center
Land Research Center (LRC) is a Palestinian non-governmental civil society organi- zation. It was established in 1986 in Jerusalem and has currently branches in Hebron, Ramallah and Nablus. Its activities cover the West Bank (including Jerusalem) and Gaza Strip. The Center’s mission is the protection and development of the land and to defend the right of the citizens in land ownership, land use and the right to be housed in it.
The Center’s vision is that Palestinians have the right to control their lands and to use it for agricultural and housing purposes in consistency with human rights (especially the right to development and housing) en route to achieve total and complete sover- eignty.
The general goals of the Center:
1. Reduction of Israeli occupation’s measures against housing, land and water. 2. Development of natural and economic resources. 3. Development of local policies. 4. Farmer organization and community outreach.
Land Research Center Address: Halhul – Main Street – Al Natsheh Building – 2nd Floor PO Box: 35 Halhul. Phone: 02-221-7239 – Fax: 02-229-0918 E-mail: [email protected] Webpage: www.lrcj.org
The cost of printing this book was covered as part of the Kanaan Project funded by the Spanish International Cooperation Agency in cooperation “ with Mundubat and ACSUR. The Project is being implemented in Oc- cupied Jerusalem between 2008 and 2011 and it aims at contributing to the protection of Palestinian Rights in Jerusalem and to provide techni- cal, legal and material assistance to them. The execution of the project is carried out in partnership with Land Research Center, Union of Health Work Committees, Defence for Children International, Union of Palestin- ian Women’s Committees and the Bisan Center for Research and Develop- ment.
The project implemented a number of activities in the fields of right to housing and right to land, children rights, women rights and health. It also provided a number of services to civil organizations in Jerusalem. This project is being implemented in accordance with the Center’s developmen- tal vision pursued inside Occupied Jerusalem in the context of Kanaan. ” II Table of Contenet
Introduction ...... VI
Methodology ...... VII
Chapter 1: Jerusalem Through Occupations ...... 1 General Definition of Jerusalem ...... 3 The Occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967 ...... 4 Jerusalem in the Year 1980 ...... 5 Jerusalem in the Eye of the Palestinian National Authority ...... 6
Chapter 2: Israeli Colonial Plans in Jerusalem ...... 9 The Greater Jerusalem Project – 1993 ...... 11 Jerusalem 2020 ...... 12 E1 Plan ...... 13 The Eastern Gate Plan ...... 14 The Colony of Nof Etzion (The View of Etzion) on Jabal Al Mukaber ...... 14 A New Colony Planned for Qalandia Airport ...... 15 Light Train Project ...... 16 The Inclusion of the Colony of Kedar into Ma’ale Adumim ...... 16 The Colony of Misfarat Adumim on Jabal Al Tur Lands ...... 17 The Planned Colony of Giv’at Yael ...... 18 The Holy Basin – The King’s Garden in Al Bustan Neighborhood in Silwan ...... 18 The “Museum of Tolerance” !!! Built atop the Islamic Cemetery of Ma’aman Al- lah ...... 19 Excavations and Tunnels ...... 21 1. The New Bridge – Bab Al Magharba Project ...... 21 2. Elevator and Electric Corridor Between Al Buraq Wall (a.k.a. the Wail- ing Wall) and Harat Al Sharaf ...... 22 3. The Plan to Change the Features of the Old City of Jerusalem ...... 22 4. The Theft of Ummayad Islamic Stones ...... 23
Chapter 3: Methods and Tools Used by the Israeli Occupation to Implement Colonial Schemes and the Forced Displacement of Palestinian Jerusalemites ...... 25 The Policy of Land Grab ...... 27 The Policy of Site Planning and Zoning ...... 27
Chapter 4: The Racist Isolation and Annexation Wall ...... 35 Facts and Figures about the Racist Wall in Jerusalem ...... 37
III Jerusalem Under Occupation
Chapter 5: Violation of the Right to Housing ...... 41 The demolition of Palestinian Houses in Jerusalem ...... 43 Stop Work and Demolition Orders against Palestinian Shelters in Jerusalem ...... 68 “Self” Demolition ...... 70 Taking Over of Palestinian Homs in Jerusalem ...... 72
Conclusion ...... 75
References ...... 77
IV
Jerusalem Under Occupation
Introduction
Sixty-two years have passed since the occupation of the western section of the City of Jerusalem while forty-three years have gone by on the occupation of the West Bank (including the eastern section of Jerusalem) and Gaza Strip on the 5th of June, 1967.
Many years have passed since the occupa- ARAB STUDIES SOCIETY tion of Jerusalem, the capital of the Arab Land Research Center culture, the capital of the hoped-for Pal- Jenin estinian state and the desired center for its September - 2010
WWW.LRCJ.ORG GIS & Mapping Unit political, economic, social and cultural life. Tulkarm Tubas Ever since it occupied Jerusalem, Israel has continued its aggression on Palestinian land Qalqiliya Nablus and rights in the Holy City as all Israeli gov- Salfit ernments have considered Jerusalem an in- Mediterranean Sea tegral part of the Israeli entity and under its full sovereignty. Since the early days of the Ramallah Jericho occupation, Israel has turned its back to all of the decisions and position of the interna- Jerusalem tional community concerning Jerusalem as it drew and implemented policies aimed at annexing and Judaizing Jerusalem through Bethlehem a series of geographical, demographical, Dead Sea economic and administrative measures. To Hebron achieve the desired control and sovereign- ty over the city, Ehud Olmert – the former Gaza Strip Israeli Prime Minister – has allocated 1.5 billion dollars while the current Prime Min- ister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is striving to al- locate a budget of 14 billion dollars for the same purpose. Legend Governorates Boundaries Jerusalem Governorate The Israeli policies and procedures of evic- West Jerusalem Water Bodies 0 10 20 40 tions and displacement of thousands of Kilometers · Palestinian Jerusalemites began right after Map 1: The geographical location of Jerusalem. the end of hostilities in the Six-Day War in 1967; the obliteration of Bab Al Magharba and Al Sharaf Neighborhood inside the walls of the Old City shortly after the War’s end and the annexation of 71,000 dunums of Palestinian lands to enlarge the mu- nicipal area of Jerusalem on the basis of seizing the largest area of land with the least number of the its legitimate owners are but two examples of such racist policies. Additional examples include separating Jerusalem from its natural and geographical hinterland in the West Bank, preventing Palestinians from entering it under Military Order No. 5 of 1967, the building of 34 Jewish colonies within its boundaries in addition to uprooting thousands of Palestinian Jerusalemites and replacing them by 220,000 of Israeli colonists as of the end of 2009.
As for today, 43 years has passed since the occupation of the eastern part of th city. More than 34% of its lands have been confiscated for colonial purposes while an additional 54% are classified as Green Areas. All told, 88% of the total area of the City is inaccessible by its rightful owners as to keep it as a strategic reserve for further colonial expansion.
VI Methodology
1. Literature Review:
Reviewing reports and publications prepared by local and international institutions around Jerusalem, and the negative effects of the settlements and the wall.
2. Data Collection and reports preparation:
LRC field workers use a special questionnaire to collect all the data related to the Israeli violation against Palestinians in Jerusalem, and also, they document the viola- tions by cameras. These data and photos were filtered, sorted, reviewed and analyzed by a special team in order to prepare different levels of reports: case studies, monthly reports, quarter reports and special report – like this study.
3. Mapping Data:
The GIS and Mapping unit in the LRC use the analyzed data about the Israeli viola- tions to prepare different types of maps, in order to view these data in a geographical manner, e.g. the house demolition in Jerusalem by location during a certain year.
4. Publishing and Dissemination:
All LRC reports about the Israeli violations were published on our web page (www. lrcj.org) and in the form of flyers, leaflets, bulletins and special reports. It should be noted that, all these reports were published in both English and Arabic languages.
VII - Chapter One -
Jerusalem Through Occupations
Jerusalem Under Occupation
General Definition of Jerusalem
Jerusalem is a Canaanite city that was established in the Bronze Age nearly 5,000 years ago. It was named “The City of Peace (Madinat Al Salam)” in honor of the Canaanite God of Peace, Salem. When the name spread throughout the old nations, the city became to be known as “Ur Salem” meaning the City of Peace. The name was later transformed to Yorshalaim and Jerusalem.
It was also named Jebus or the City of Jebusites who were the early Arabs migrating from the Arabian Peninsula. The Jebusites were the original Jerusalem residents who have migrated from the Peninsula with the Canaanite tribes about 4,500 years ago. They settled the hills overlooking the Old City.
In the year 1855, Mentvuory the Jew managed to get a decree from the Ottoman Sultan that allowed Jews to buy their first piece of land in Palestine. After the end of the First World War, Palestine was placed under the British Mandate. At that point in time, Jewish-owned properties in Palestine did not surpass 15% of the land of Palestine. In the aftermath of Balfour Declaration, the British authorities al- lowed a free hand for Jewish organizations to buy and colonize Palestine with seemingly no limits. Upon the declaration of the creation of the State of Israel, Jews owned only 8% of the total area of Palestine.
At the end of the British Mandate in the year 1948, the total area of Jerusalem was 19.5 km2. During the 1948 War, 39 Palestinian villages in West Jerusalem were destroyed while 98,000 Palestinian Jeru- salemites were displaced leaving behind them 272,735 dunums. The subsequent armistice agreement signed in the island of Rhodes in 1949 divided the city into three sectors; a Jewish sector which included an additional 16 km2 to the lands occupied in 1948 (82% of the total area). The second sector was the Arab sector which constituted 2.5 mk2 which was placed under Jordanian sovereignty (about 12% of the overall area of the City). The third sector was the 1 km2 UN-instituted No Man’s Land which constituted 5% of the total area of the City. Between the two occupations (1948 and 1967), Israel has enlarged the boundaries of West Jerusalem to become 38 km2.
ARAB STUDIES SOCIETY Land Research Center
September - 2010
WWW.LRCJ.ORG GIS & Mapping Unit
Legend Green Line Old City Jerusalem Border - 1947
Corpus Separatum - UN 0 2.5 5 10 Km · Map 2: Jerusalem in 1948.
3 Chapter 1
The Occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967
• On June 28th, 1967 (two weeks after the Six-Day War), Israel annexed 71 km2 of the lands of Jerusalem located in the West Bank to the lands of West Jerusalem. As such, the total area of West Jerusalem became 109 km2. The annexation was a prelude to declaring the city (with its two parts) as a “Unified City” under Israeli sovereignty.
• Three Palestinian villages located in West Jerusalem were destroyed by Israeli occupation forces including Imwas, Yalo and Beit Nuba. The residents of these villages were forcibly displaced.
• Israeli occupation forces also demolished Bab Al Magharba Neighborhood and Harat Al Sharaf (a.k.a. The Jewsih Quarter) in which about 125 housing units and a mosque were present in Al Magharba Neighborhood only. The demolition led to the displacement of its Palestinian inhabitants to other areas outside of the walls of the Old City. The demolition took place as to make space for Al Buraq Wall (a.k.a. Wailing Wall) Plaza and the Jewish Quarter. See pictures 1 and 2.
Pic1: Al Magharba Neighborhood before Pic.2: Al Magharba neighborhood after it was turned its destruction. into the Al Buraq Wall (a.k.a. Wailing Wall) Plaza.
• The areas annexed to make Greater Jerusalem excluded areas with high Palestinian popula- tion density including Abu Dis, Bethany (a.ka. Al Ezzariya), Anata, Al Zuayyem, Qalandia refugee camp, Bir Nibala, Al Jadeera, Al Jib, Beit Hanina Al Balad, Al Ram in addition to some parts of Dhahiyat Al Barid.
• The annexation decision placed Palestinian lands under full Israeli sovereignty, not under the administration of the Military Commander of the West Bank as was done with the rest of the areas in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
• The annexation decision did not deal with the residents of Jerusalem as “citizens.” Rather, they were considered as “residents” that do not enjoy all rights as guaranteed by the Israeli law. That was seen was a prelude to confiscate most of the Palestinian Jerusalemite lands without having to provide them with their full civil rights.
4 Jerusalem Under Occupation
ARAB STUDIES SOCIETY Land Research Center
September - 2010
WWW.LRCJ.ORG GIS & Mapping Unit
Legend Green Line Old City Jerusalem Border - 1967 Jerusalem Border - 1947
Corpus Separatum - UN 0 3.5 7 14 Km· Map 3: Jerusalem in 1967.
Jerusalem in the Year 1980
In the year 1980 the Israeli Government headed by Menachem Begin declared Jerusalem to be “the eternal and unified capital of the State of Israel” – yet another major step in the Judization of the city as to realize the Zionist colonial project’s goals.
The following statistical comparison illustrates the colonial and Judaization policies implemented by the Israeli occupation authorities in the West Bank in general and in Jerusalem specifically:
• The number of Palestinian Jerusalemites in East Jerusalem shortly after the 1967 War was about 70,000. That is in addition to 30,000 Palestinian Jerusalemites working outside of the boundaries of the City who were not allowed back to their families, real estates and proper- ties.
• The number of Israeli colonists in East Jerusalem in the year 1967 was nil.
• The number of Palestinian Jerusalemites living in East Jerusalem in the year 2008 was 255,545.
• The number of Jewish colonists in East Jerusalem in the year 2008 was 261,885.
5 Chapter 1
Jerusalem in the Eye of the Palestinian National Authority
Despite of all the Judaization and annexation attempts carried out by the different Israeli governments vis-à-vis Jerusalem, the international community still considers East Jerusalem to be part of the Palestin- ians lands occupied in 1967. The issue of Jerusalem was deferred to what has become to be known as the ‘Final Status Negotiation” in accordance with the Declaration of Principles signed in 1993 between the Palestinian Liberation Organization and the Government of Israel which formally initiated the “peace process” between both parties. The deferment was coupled with assurances that the Palestinian institu- tions in East Jerusalem (especially the Orient House) would continue to function without any danger of it being shut down by the Israeli authorities.
In accordance with the above, the Governorate of Jerusalem – according to the Palestinian definition as illustrated in the following map –includes 44 population centers. Its total area is 353,563 dunums and its population is estimated to be around 363,000 Palestinians (according to PCBS’s 2008 estimates).
Pesagot Beit 'Ur at Tahta Ramallah Burqa Deir Dibwan An Nuwei'ma Beituniya ARAB STUDIES SOCIETY Kharbatha al Misbah Beit 'Ur al Fauqa Al Bira Land Research Center Beit Horon B Kokhav Yaacov Maale Mikhmas Ein as Sultan Camp' Beit Horon Kafr 'Aqab Mikhmas Elisha Beit Liqya Rafat At Tira Sha'ar Benyamin Givat Zeev Qalandiya Jericho Beit Duqqu 'Jaba Al Jib Al Judeira Atarot Beit 'Anan September - 2010 Givat Hadasha Givon Ar Ram & Dahiyat al Bareed (Adam ) Geva Benyamin Givat Hadasha B Bir Nabala Al Qubeiba Neve Yaacov WWW.LRCJ.ORG GIS & Mapping Unit Aqbat Jaber Camp Qatanna Biddu Har Shamual Allon Pisgat Zeev Hizma Neve Shamual ( Almon ) Anatot (Har Adar )Givat HaRadar Beit Hanina al Balad Beit Hanina Kfar Adummim Vered Yeriho Beit Surik Beit Iksa Ramot Pisgat Amir Neve Brat Mizpe Yeriho Rekhes Shuafat Shu'fat Mevaseret Tsiyon Anata' Beit HaArava Givat Shappira Ramat Eshkol Al 'Isawiya (North Dead Sea )Solar Pond (Hebrew University )Har HaTzofim (Mishr Adummim )Industrial Center Sheikh Jarrah Az Za'ayyem Almog (Jerusalem )Al Quds Settler Houses in Old City Mamilla At Tur Jewish Quarter Maale Adummim Lido Yehuda (Ras al A'mud )Ma'ale Ha zeitim Al 'Eizariya Ath Thuri Silwan Atraqzia Abu Dis Mizpe Yedude East Talpiyot As Sawahira al Gharbiya Kalya Kedar Beit Safafa As Sawahira ash Sharqiya Givat Hamatos Ash Sheikh Sa'd Gilo Sur Bhir Al Walaja Har Gilo Har Homa Al 'Ubeidiya Battir Legend Beit Jala Dar Salah Ayn Fashkhah' Annx. & Exp. Wall Hadar Betar Husan Al Khas Beit Sahur Existing Bethlehem Umm al Qasseis Under Construction Betar Illit Ad Doha Ad Duheisha Camp Artas Planned Nahhalin Al Khushna Jerusalem Border - 1967 Gavaot Neve Daniyyel Avenat Jerusalem Border - 1947 Hindaza Za'tara Rosh Zurim Al 'Iqab Efrat Corpus Separatum - UN (Bet Ain )Tsoref Elazar Harmala El David )Kfar Eldad( & Izdebar Pal. Localities - East Jerusalem Allon Shevut (Tekoa )includin Tekoa C,D Surif Kfar Etzion Jurat ash Sham'a Pal. Localities 'Tuqu Nokdim Safa Israeli Colonies Migdal Oz · Jerusalem Governorate Al 'Arrub Camp 0 3.5 7 14 Km Beit Ummar Beit Fajjar Map 4: The map of the Governorate of Jerusalem.
In the aftermath of the 1967 War Israel annexed the following Palestinian population centers: Beit Hanina, Shu’fat refugee camp, Shufat, Al Issawiyya, Al Sheikh Jarrah, Wadi Al Joz, Bab Al Sahera, the Old City, Al Suwwana, Al Tur, Al Shayyah, Ras Al Amoud, Silwan, Al Thuri, Jabal Al Mukab- ber, Al Sawahra Al Gharbiya, Beit Safafa, Shurfat, Sur Baher, Umm Tuba and Kufr Aqab. Combined, these communities make up East Jerusalem that was annexed into West Jerusalem to form the so-called “Greater Jerusalem.” As for the rest of the Palestinian population centers, they were kept within the boundaries of the West Bank including the communities of Rafat, Mikhmas, Qalandia refugee camp, Jaba’a, Qalandia, Beit Diqqo, Al Jadeera, Al Ram, Dhahiyat Al Barid, Beit Anan, Al Jib, Bir Nabala, Beit Iksa, Beit Ijza, Al Qabiba, Khiret Umm Al Lahem, Biddo, Nabi Samuel, Hizma, Beit Hanina Al Tahta, Qattana, Beit Surik, Anata, the Bedouin community in Al Khan Al Ahmar, Al Zuayyem, Bethany, Abu Dis, the Bedouin communities in the vicinity of Bethany and Abu Dis, Al Sawahreh Al Shar- qiyya and Al Sheikh Sa’ad. Combined together, the annexed and non-annexed communities form the
6 Jerusalem Under Occupation
Governorate of Jerusalem as declared by the Palestinian National Authority. The area of the annexed communities is 53,694 dunums while the remaining 299,869 dunums are the area of the non-annexed communities that are located within the West Bank boundaries. The latter is divided in accordance with the Oslo Agreement area classification (Area A, B and C) into the following; 30,032 are classified as Area B, 267,668 are classified as Area C in addition to 2,169 dunums are classified as Nature Reserve. No area in Jerusalem Governorate is classified as Area A.
In relation to the Israeli Annexation Wall, and according to Yakeir Seigiev, the Administrator of the East Jerusalem Affairs in the Jerusalem Municipality, during his meeting with the Youth of the Israeli Labor Party in December 2009, the length of the constructed parts of the Wall in the Governorate has reached 77.12 kilometers and isolated 50,000 Palestinians away from the city of Jerusalem. However, evidence on the ground indicates that the number of isolated Palestinians is much higher than Seigiev’s estimate.
7
- Chapter Two -
Israeli Colonial Plans in Jerusalem
Jerusalem Under Occupation
The Greater Jerusalem Project – 1993
In the year 1993 the Israeli government announced the inauguration of its Greater Jerusalem Plan which extended over an area of 600 km2 (10% of the overall area of the West Bank). The geographical span of the said Plan extends from Beit Shemish in the west to Jericho and the Dead Sea in the east, Kfar Etzion in the south until it reaches the village of Dura Al Qara’a – Ramallah in the north. The intended goal of the Plan is to link the colonies of north Jerusalem with the ones located south of the city and to prevent any geographical continuity between the northern and southern parts of the West Bank via Jerusalem. The Plan, also, aims at creating a Jewish majority in the targeted geographical boundaries and to trans- form Palestinian Jerusalemites into a minority that does not exceed 12% of the population.
Beit 'Ur at Tahta Pesagot Burqa Ramallah Deir Dibwan AAnR NAuwBe i'SmTa UDIES SOCIETY Beituniya Al Bira Kharbatha al Misbah Beit 'Ur al Fauqa Land Research Center Beit Horon B Kokhav Yaacov Maale Mikhmas Ein as Sultan Camp' Beit Horon Kafr 'Aqab Mikhmas Elisha Beit Liqya Rafat At Tira Sha'ar Benyamin Givat Zeev Qalandiya Jericho Beit Duqqu 'Jaba Al Jib Al Judeira Atarot September - 2010 Beit 'Anan Givat Hadasha Givon Ar Ram & Dahiyat al Bareed (Adam ) Geva Benyamin Givat Hadasha B Bir Nabala WWW.LRCJ.ORG GIS & Mapping Unit Al Qubeiba Neve Yaacov Aqbat Jaber Camp Qatanna Biddu Har Shamual Allon Pisgat Zeev Hizma Neve Shamual ( Almon ) Anatot (Har Adar )Givat HaRadar Beit Hanina al Balad Beit Hanina Kfar Adummim Vered Yeriho Beit Surik Beit Iksa Ramot Pisgat Amir Neve Brat Mizpe Yeriho Rekhes Shuafat Shu'fat Mevaseret Tsiyon Anata' Beit HaArava Givat Shappira Ramat Eshkol Al 'Isawiya (North Dead Sea )Solar Pond (Hebrew University )Har HaTzofim (Mishr Adummim )Industrial Center Sheikh Jarrah Az Za'ayyem Almog (Jerusalem )Al Quds Settler Houses in Old City Mamilla At Tur Jewish Quarter Lido Yehuda Maale Adummim (Ras al A'mud )Ma'ale Ha zeitim Al 'Eizariya Ath Thuri Silwan Atraqzia Abu Dis Mizpe Yedude East Talpiyot As Sawahira al Gharbiya Kalya Kedar Beit Safafa As Sawahira ash Sharqiya Givat Hamatos Ash Sheikh Sa'd Gilo Sur Bhir Al Walaja Har Gilo Har Homa Battir Al 'Ubeidiya Beit Jala Dar Salah Ayn Fashkhah'
Hadar Betar Husan Al Khas Beit Sahur Bethlehem Umm al Qasseis Betar Illit Ad Doha Ad Duheisha Camp Artas Nahhalin Al Khushna Legend Gavaot Avenat Neve Daniyyel Road_System Hindaza Za'tara Rosh Zurim Al 'Iqab Green Line Efrat (Bet Ain )Tsoref Elazar Harmala El David )Kfar Eldad( & Izdebar Israeli Colonies Allon Shevut Surif (Tekoa )includin Tekoa C,D Pal. Localities Kfar Etzion Jurat ash Sham'a 'Tuqu Nokdim Jerusalem Border - 1967 Safa Migdal Oz 0 3 6 12 · Graeter Jerusalem Boundary Km Beit Ummar Beit Fajjar Map 5: The Greater Jerusalem of 1993.
Throughout the years since its inception, the Greater Jerusalem Plan has succeeded in creating a number of facts on the ground that includes the following:
• The building of 34 Israeli colonies in East Jerusalem with a total population of 220,000 colonists as of 2009. (Source: database at LRC).
• The formation of two belts of colonies around Jerusalem; the first is an internal belt inside East Jeru- salem which is made of 16 colonies while the second belt (formed of 18 colonies) is located outside the boundaries of East Jerusalem. Moreover, an additional 18 colonial outposts were established in the said area between 1996 and 2005. In order to connect between all of these colonies, a number of by-pass roads were established inside and around Jerusalem covering a distance of 91 kilometers. One of the immediate results of the implementation of the Greater Jerusalem Plan was the isolation of the city from its immediate Palestinian environ and the cutting of the West Bank into two uncon- nected halves.
11 Chapter 2
ARAB STUDIES SOCIETY Jerusalem Western Colonial Belt Ramallah Land Research Center
September - 2010
WWW.LRCJ.ORG GIS & Mapping Unit
Jericho
Jerusalem
Jerusalem Eastern Colonial Belt
Bethlehem Legend West Jerusalem Israeli Colonies Hebron Jerusalem Governorate 0 4 8 16 · West Bank Km Map 6: The eastern and western colonial belts around Jerusalem.
Jerusalem 2020
Israel declared in 2009 a new plan for the City and dubbed it as “The Unified Jerusalem Plan 2020”. The highlights of the Plan are as follows:
• The Plan was designed to face the increasing number of Palestinian Jerusalemites as they have become to form 35% of the population of both sections of the City. The Plan indicated that one of its goals is to demographically balance the population of the City to become 70 % Jewish and 30% Arab.
• The Plan states that one of its main goals is to “achieve an absolute majority of Jews in the City as the capital of the Jewish state and a center for the Jewish People in addition to achieving the biblical vision as imagined by our Forefathers.”
• The Plan completely ignores the Palestinian developmental needs until the year 2020 as it did not allocate any area for the industrial, commercial or touristic development for them.
• The Plan lists developmental projects for Jews only in the fields of high tech, universities, hospitals, etc.
• The Plan calls for addressing the problem of lack of appropriate housing in the Palestinian popula- tion centers through the exploitation of land in residential areas by 100%, thus turning it into densely populated areas with no possibility or prospect of any future development.
• The Plan calls for the concentration of Jewish construction in the northern and southern parts of the City while reducing its frequency in the central and western parts. An example of that tendency is the request to build an additional 30,000 apartments in the colony of Abu Ghneim (a.k.a. Har Homa) and a similar number of apartments in the colony of Pisgat Ze’ev.
• Upon implementation of the Plan, it will separate the Palestinian population centers from each other and from the city center. 12 Jerusalem Under Occupation
• The Plan will transform the Palestinian areas in Jerusalem into crowded neighborhoods with a poor population that is dependent entirely on the labor market in West Jerusalem.
• The Palestinian population centers will be surrounded by colonies, by-pass roads and Green Areas. The roads will be used to connect the colonies together and with West Jerusalem while suffocating the Palestinian areas.
• The Plan will force the Palestinian youth to flee while it encourages young, married Jewish couples to come and live in the City.
• The Plan aims for the City to have a total population of 950,000 inhabitants of which 70% (i.e. 665,000) are Jewish while the remaining 30% (i.e. 285,000) are Arabs by the year 2020.
Jerusalem 2020 and the Old City of Jerusalem:
• According to the Plan, the Old City of Jerusalem will be subjected to an Israeli organizational plan that would exclusively and solely determine the religious, historical and cultural value of the City.
• Also according to the plan, all of the buildings that cannot be renovated, that are ramshackle or affect the nature of the City will be demolished. It has to be pointed out here that the Occupation Municipality has deliberately prevented Palestinians from renovating their houses in the Old City of Jerusalem and left it to corrode and crumble due to natural factors on the one hand and by the activities of the Jewish colonists and the Municipality on the other. Such factors and activities have led to cracks in the houses and the destabilization of its structural basis. Meanwhile, the houses of the colonists are being restored and rehabilitated promptly and permanently.
• The Plan mentions the importance of reducing overcrowding in the Old City with the assistance of governmental and official institutions through evicting Palestinians from the area.
E1 Plan
• The Plan aims at the enlargement of the colony of Ma’ale Adumim (current population of 40,000 colonists) and to assure its connection with Jerusalem through building new colonial units east- wards.
• The Plan calls for the construction of an additional 4,000 housing units on an area of 12,000 dunums of the confiscated lands from Al Tur, Abu Dis, Bethany and Al Issawiyya.
• The Plan envisions the building of touristic attractions and centers, universities, hotels, an industrial zone, road networks and the new headquarter for the Police which was inaugurated three years ago.
• The Master Plan for Ma’ale Adumim covers an area of at least 53 km2 which is larger than the area of Tel Aviv. The colony is expected to extend between Jerusalem and Jericho as part of the Greater Jerusalem scheme.
• The E1 (upon its implementation) will have a devastating effect on the Palestinian present and future as it will prevent the geographical continuity between the northern and southern parts of the West Bank while completely isolating Jerusalem after sealing it off from the east. This would, in turn, make the Greater Jerusalem project a reality on 10% of the area of the West Bank connecting, in the process, Israeli colonies located outside the boundaries of municipal Jerusalem with those located inside while isolating the Palestinian villages and towns away from each other. Ultimately, this plan would make the return of East Jerusalem to the Palestinians to serve as their future capital an impos- sibility and gives the two-state solution the final death blow.
13 Chapter 2
Neve Yaacov ARAB STUDIES SOCIETY Land Research Center Har Shamual Allon Neve Shamual Pisgat Zeev ( Almon ) Anatot
Kfar Adummim September - 2010
Pisgat Amir WWW.LRCJ.ORG GIS & Mapping Unit Ramot Neve Brat
Rekhes Shuafat
Givat Shappira Ramat Eshkol (Hebrew University )Har HaTzofim E1 (Mishr Adummim )Industrial Center
Settler Houses in Old City Mamilla Jewish Quarter (Ras al A'mud )Ma'ale Ha zeitim Maale Adummim
Legend Mizpe Yedude Annx. & Exp. Wall East Talpiyot Existing Kedar Under Construction Planned Givat Hamatos E1 Plan Old City Gilo Israeli Colonies Jerusalem Governorate Har Homa 0 1.5 3 6 West Bank Km · Har Gilo Map 7: E1 Plan.
The Eastern Gate Plan
The Plan calls for the establishment of an industrial and commercial zone as well the construction of 2,200 colonial housing units on a surface area of 2,700 dunums. The land reserved for this project has already been confiscated from the Palestinian towns of Anata, Shu’fat and Al Isawiyya in the northeast- ern parts of Jerusalem. The implementation of the Plan has already started and large strides were carried out vis-à-vis its completion.
The Colony of Nof Etzion (The View of Etzion) on Jabal Al Mukaber
• The Plan envisions the construction of 400 colonial housing units on a 120-dunum area of Palestin- ian lands in Jabal Al Mukaber including the lands of Ahmad Eid Zahayka who spent more than 20 years defending his land before passing away due to a heart attack. The planned colony would lead to impeding the Palestinian geographical continuity within Jabal Al Mukaber and between Jabal Al Mukaber and the nearby village of Silwan. The colony would be overlooking the Old City of Jeru- salem, Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.
• The colony is a private investment by the colonists Abboud Levi and is being built on private Pales- tinian lands owned by Mr. Zahayka and others.
• More than 70 colonial housing units have already been built and are currently been marketed for rich American Jews.
14 Jerusalem Under Occupation
Pic.3: Under-construction housing units in the colony Pic.4: Colonial units ready to be inhabited. of Nof Etzion.
A New Colony Planned for Qalandia Airport
• An Israeli newspaper don’t know published in 2007 a detailed plan to build a new Israeli colony atop more than 1,200 dunums of the lands of Qalandia Airport, located north of Jerusalem. That was despite the fact that, in accordance with the Oslo Agreement signed in 1993 between the two par- ties and under American patronage, the Airport was allocated to be transferred to Palestinian hands.
• The Plan called for the establishment of a 12,000 colonial housing units. It also called for the con- struction of an underground tunnel to connect the new colony with the eastern colony compound which includes the colonies of Kokhav Ya’aqob and Kokhav Hash’har while, at the same time, reducing the distance between Bet El and Jerusalem.
• The intended colony would threaten the geographical continuity between the town of Ar Ram and Dhahiyat Al Barid, on the one hand, and Ramallah and Kufr Aqab on the other.
• According to the newspaper, the intended colony would be the largest colony in the said area.
Al Am'ari Camp Pesagot Burqa Arab Studies Society Land Research Center Ramallah Beituniya
Al Bira Sep. 2010 GIS & Mapping Unit WWW.LRCJ.ORG Kokhav Yaacov
Jenin Tulkarm Tubas
Qalqiliya Nablus Kafr 'Aqab Salfit Rafat Ramallah Jericho
Jerusalem Qalandiya Camp
Bethlehem
Hebron Qalandiya Givat Zeev
Legend Jaba' Annx. & Exp. Wall Al Judeira Atarot Roads Network Ar Ram & Dahiyat al Bareed Qalandiya Airport
Palestinian Builtup Area Al Jib Bir Nabala IsrGaelii vCoonlonies Givat Hadasha Givat Hadasha B
· Beit Hanina Neve Yaacov 0 750 1,500 3,000 Har Shamual Meters 1:30,000 Pisgat Zeev Map 8: The location of the intended colony in Qalandia Airport’s lands.
15 Chapter 2
Light Train Project
The project runs at a length of 13.5 kilometers and aims at a) connecting the Israeli colonies located north of Jerusalem (Pisga’at Ze’ev, Navi Yaqoub and the French Hill) with West Jerusalem and b) con- necting the colony of Ma’ale Adumim in the east with the Old City and the neighborhoods of Shu’fat, Sheikh Jarrah and Al Musrara and West Jerusalem. In short, the Project is aimed at connecting all Israeli colonies built on East Jerusalem lands to West Jerusalem in violation and contradiction of the Interna- tional Law.
Ar Ram & Dahiyat al Bareed Arab Studies Society Land Research Center Neve Yaacov
An Nabi Samwil Sep. 2010 Pisgat Zeev GIS & Mapping Unit WWW.LRCJ.ORG Beit Hanina al Balad
Jenin Beit Hanina Tulkarm Tubas
Qalqiliya Nablus Salfit Pisgat Amir
Ramallah Jericho
Jerusalem Ramot Bethlehem
Beit Iksa Hebron Shu'fat Rekhes Shuafat
Legend
Light_Train Givat Shappira Annx. & Exp. Wall
Roads Network Ramat Eshkol Israeli Colonies Al 'Isawiya West Jerusalem
Palestinian Builtup Area Hebrew University (Har HaTzofim)
Sheikh Jarrah
Wadi al Joz
As Suwwana
Bab as Sahira Settler Houses in Old City At Tur Jerusalem (Al Quds) Mamilla Jewish Quarter
Ash Shayyah
Silwan · 0 0.5 1 2 Ath Thuri Kilometers 1:30,000 Map 9: The Light Railway Route Pic.5: A picture of the railway network as placed in one of the brochures detailing the project.
The Inclusion of the Colony of Kedar into Ma’ale Adumim
• Israeli sources indicated on the 24th of April, 2009, the intention of occupation authorities to expand the colony of Ma’ale Adumim by an additional 12,000 dunums through the inclusion of the colony
'Anata of Kedar (located 3 kilometers Arab Studies Society Al Ka'abina (Tajammu' Badaw Land Research Center east of Ma’ale Adumim) into its
municipal boundaries. This, in Al 'IsawiyaSep. 2010 GIS & Mapping Unit WWW.LRCJ.ORG
fact, means the inclusion of all the Mishr Adummim (Industrial Center) Jenin Az Za'ayyem lands between the two colonies as Tulkarm Tubas Qalqiliya Nablus Salfit to form one “mega” colony in the At Tur Ramallah Jericho area of Wadi Abu Hindi . Jerusalem Bethlehem
Hebron Maale Adummim
• The planned expansion calls Al 'Eizariya Legend for the building of an additional Annx. & Exp. Wall AbRoua dDs iNsetwork 6,000 colonial housing units on Israeli Colonies Palestinian Builtup Area the confiscated lands. Mizpe Yedude
• Currently, there are approximate- As Sawahira ash Sharqiya Kedar · 0 0.5 1 2 ly 800 Israeli colonists living in Ash Sheikh Sa'd 'Arab al Jahalin Kilometers 1:35,000 Kedar while around 40,000 live Map 10: The 12,000 dunums targeted lands located between the colo- nies of Kidar and Ma’ale Adumim. in Ma’ale Adumim. •
16 Jerusalem Under Occupation
The Colony of Misfarat Adumim on Jabal Al Tur Lands
On the 7th of July, 2008, Israeli colonists celebrated the placement of the corner stone to build a new colony called Misfarat Adumim on the lands of Palestinian Jerusalemites from the towns and villages of Al Tur, Anata and Bethany. These lands were confiscated as part of the 12,500 dunums reserved for the implementation of the E1 Plan. The celebration inaugurated the initiation of the construction of 450 housing units in which 21,000 Israeli colonists are planned to live. These housing units are the first in- stallment of the 2,500 housing units planned on the location.
Kfar Adummim BeitA Hraanbi nSatudies Society Land Research CenterPisgat Amir
Shu'fat Camp Al Ka'abina (Tajammu' Badaw SSheup'.f a 2t010 GIS & Mapping Unit 'Anata WWW.LRCJ.ORG
GivaJte nSinhappira Tulkarm Tubas Ramat Eshkol Qalqiliya Nablus Salfit Al 'Isawiya
Ramallah Jericho Hebrew University (Har HaTzofim) Jerusalem
Bethlehem Mishr Adummim (Industrial Center) ShHeeibkrho nJarrah Az Za'ayyem
Wadi al Joz As Suwwana At Tur Bab as Sahira Jerusalem (Al Quds) Jewish Quarter Ash Shayyah
Ras al A'mud (Ma'ale Ha zeitim) Maale Adummim Al 'Eizariya Legend Ras Al'Amud ^_ Maale AdSuimlmwiman Police Station Annx. & Exp. Wall Roads Network Ath TEh1u Prlian Abu Dis Israeli Colonies · Palestinian Builtup Area 0 0.5 1 2 As Sawahira al Gharbiya 1:35,000 'Arab al JahalinKilometers Map 11: The location of the new colony of Misfarat Adumim as part of the E1 Plan.
Pic.6+7: Al Tur lands targeted to be the ground for Misfarat Adumim colony.
17 Chapter 2
The Planned Colony of Giv’at Yael
Israeli source declared on the 30th of September, 2009, the intention of Israeli occupation to build 13,600 colonial housing units on the lands of Al Walajeh. The Plan of the new colony of Giva’at Yael has been submitted to the District Committee for Planning and Building in the Israeli Ministry of Interior and the regulatory authorities in the Jerusalem Municipality for approval. A large number of Al Walajeh houses will be demolished to make way for the new colony. The Jerusalem Municipality has already demolished more than 26 Palestinian homes in the village and has issued Stop Work orders against 37 houses under a number of pretexts most used of which is building “without a permit.”
Since the year 1989, the Jerusalem Municipality has been planning to build the new colony in Al Wa- lajeh that will accommodate 25,000 colonists. Every now and then the Israeli government declares its intention to start the building process on this new colony. Building the Israeli Annexation & Expantion Wall has stopped at Al Walajeh boundaries which offer a new evidence of the covered plan. The Chief of the Planning and Building in the Jerusalem Municipality was once quoted as saying that “half the area of Al Walajeh is located outside of the municipal boundaries of Jerusalem. The route of the Wall has to be changed to place the entire village under the authority of the Municipality.”
Pic.8: The lands targeted for the establishment of the colony of Giva’at Yael.
The Holy Basin – The King’s Garden in Al Bustan Neighborhood in Silwan
• The project was planned in the seventies of the last century. • It was planned by the Jerusalem Municipality Chief Engineer back then. • It calls for the demolition of 88 Palestinian houses in Al Bustan Neighborhood in Silwan in which 130 families live on 46 dunums. The plan entails the forced displacement of at least 1,000 Palestin- ians. • Most of the threatened houses were built even before the creation of the State of Israel while others were built shortly after the 1967 War. • The project is racists in its entirety as it is based on the destruction and removal of all that is Palestin- ian and Muslim in favor of all that is Jewish and Torah-based; according to the published plan, the “aliens” must be removed from the place and be replaced by the “sons of the Forefathers” in order to foreshow the city “as envisioned by the Forefathers 3,000 years ago.” 18 Jerusalem Under Occupation
Arab Studies Society Land Research Center
Settler Houses in Old City Sep. 2010
GIS & Mapping Unit WWW.LRCJ.ORG
Jenin Tulkarm Tubas
Qalqiliya Nablus Salfit
Ramallah Jericho Mamilla Jerusalem
Bethlehem Jewish Quarter Hebron
Legend Ras al A'mud (Ma'ale Ha zeitim) Al Bustan Quarter Israeli Colony Old City
0 250 500 1,000 · 1:10,000 Meters Map 12: The location of Al Bustan Neighborhood in Silwan
• The project planners claim that they are aiming to save the Jewish history and heritage in the area. • The project calls for the transformation of the Neighborhood into a public park under the banner of “David Park – The King’s Park” as an integral part of the so-called the Holy Basin Project.
The “Museum of Tolerance” !!! Built atop the Islamic Cemetery of Ma’aman Allah
• The total area of the Cemetery is 200 dunums.
• The Cemetery holds the bodies of thousands of Muslim martyrs since the early days of Islam in Palestine.
• In the year 1969, the Israeli occupation authorities transformed large parts of the Cemetery to a pub- lic park – The Independence Park – in the aftermath of removing a number of graves.
• In the year 1985, another part of the Cemetery was transformed into a parking lot as additional graves were removed.
• In the year 2000, the Israeli Ministry of Electricity carried out diggings in the Cemetery. The Islamic Waqf denounced and protested such works at that time.
• The main headquarter of the Israeli Ministry of Industry and Trade was established atop Cemetery lands.
• The corner stone of the “Museum of Tolerance” was inaugurated in the year 2004 in the presence of the then-Head of the Jerusalem Municipality, Ehud Olmert, along with the Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger. 19 Chapter 2
• The Museum is funded by the Simon Wiesenthal Center that has a Zionist ideology.
• The budget allocated for the Museum exceeds $200 million as the Museum is planned to be built on 21 dunums.
Pic.9: The excavation and infrastructure work in prepa- ration of building the Museum.
ARAB STUDIES SOCIETY Land Research Center
September - 2010 WWW.LRCJ.ORG GIS & Mapping Unit
Legend Old City Ma’aman Allah Cemetery
Map 13: The location of Ma’aman Allah Cemetery
20 Jerusalem Under Occupation
Excavations and Tunnels
• Since the occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967, Israeli excavations and tunnel diggings inside the Old City did not come to a halt especially in the immediate vicinity of the Nobel Sanctuary and beneath it.
• Most of excavations have revealed Ummayad palaces and Islamic artifacts, despite the claims of Israeli occupation authorities.
• The current excavations include the one taking place at Bab Al Magharba leading to the Noble Sanc- tuary through the Al Buraq Wall (a.k.a. Wailing Wall) from the western direction. Israeli bulldozers began the diggings on the 7th of February, 2007.
• The colonial project has a number of sub-projects including the following:
1. The New Bridge – Bab Al Magharba Project:
• The Project aims at the enlargement of the courtyard of the Al Buraq Wall (a.k.a. Wailing Wall) southward after the removal of the Bab Al Magharba historical hill.
• The building of an iron bridge with a length of 150 meters that is capable of carrying 300 sol- diers at any given time. The Bridge will connect Bab Al Magharba (one of the 9 doors leading to Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock) to the outer walls of the Old City.
• A small mosque as well as two Ummayaed-era rooms beneath the Bridge were demolished.
• This project is in clear and flagrant violation of the antiquities and artifacts protected by the decisions of the UN and UNESCO.
• Work is being carried out away from the media and under close scrutiny by the occupation authorities.
Pic.10: Leveling works in Bab Al Magharba
21 Chapter 2
2. Elevator and Electric Corridor Between Al Buraq Wall (a.k.a. the Wailing Wall) and Harat Al Sharaf
• “Al Aqsa Waqf and Heritage Association” uncovered in a press report the intention of the Israeli occupation authorities to dig two new tunnels in the Old City of Jerusalem. The two tunnels (one has a length of 56 meters while the other has a length of 22 meters) are designed to connect Al Sharaf Neighborhood and the Al Buraq Wall (a.k.a. Wailing Wall) Courtyard.
• The installation of an electrical elevator in the vertical tunnel while installing an electrical cor- ridor in the horizontal tunnel. The goal is to make it easier for the Israeli public and tourists to reach the courtyard from Al Sharaf Neighborhood.
• The topographical differences between the Al Buraq Wall (a.k.a. Wailing Wall) Courtyard and Al Sharaf Neighborhood make it difficult for the tens of thousands of Israeli visitors and tour- ists visiting Al Sharaf Neighborhood to reach the Courtyard. An extensive study was carried out to solve such “difficulty.” The study recommended the establishment of the said evalua- tors and corridor. The elevator is to be called “Baruch Elevator” after the wealthy U.S Jewish colonist Baruch Klyne who funded the project. Klyne is currently living in Al Sharaf Neigh- borhood.
Pic.11: The plan of the elevator and electrical corridor.
3. The Plan to Change the Features of the Old City of Jerusalem
• A new Israeli plan calls for changing the unique Islamic character of the Old City of Jerusalem including its gates, walls, markets and the lighting systems.
• According to the said plan, the features of the City will be altered through the “rehabilitation” of the old gates, walls and a number of neighborhoods and historical locations.
• A report published by “Yurashalim Newspaper” in April 2009 gave the details of the NIS 600-million-plan which called for the “renovation” of these sensitive locations and the estab- lishment of a basic infrastructure for “reviving” the area during the night hours.
22 Jerusalem Under Occupation
Pic.12: Land leveling works in front of Hebron Gate as part of the “renovation” effort.
4. The Theft of Ummayad Islamic Stones
• “Al Aqsa Waqf and Heritage Association” unveiled in March 2009 that the Israeli occupation authorities have stolen big rocks that were located 3 meters away from the southern walls of Al Aqsa Mosque compound and placed it in the courtyard of the Knesset. One of the stolen rocks dates back to the Ummayad era.
• The Association pointed out that the Israeli authorities have placed a black tent in the said lo- cation months before the rocks were stolen. These authorities did not allow any organizations and\or individuals from getting close to the location or to take any pictures of the on-going work.
Pic.13: The stolen Ummayad rock standing in the Knesset court- yard – Al Quds Newspaper issue of Thursday March 5th, 2009.
23
- Chapter Three -
Methods and Tools Used by the Israeli Occupation to Implement Colonial Schemes and the Forced Displacement of Palestinian Jerusalemites
Jerusalem Under Occupation
Methods and Tools Used by the Israeli Occupation to Implement Colonial Schemes and the Forced Displacement of Palestinian Jerusalemites
The Policy of Land Grab
Ever since its occupation of the eastern section of the City of Jerusalem (as part of the West Bank) in 1967, Israeli occupation authorities have used numerous tools and policies to grab and confiscated as much land as possible in Jerusalem. According to the Master Plans issued by the Jerusalem Municipality - which is originally aimed at limiting the presence of Palestin- ian Jerusalemites into specific and constricted locations as to prevent any future expansion – the Municipality has categorized 54% of East Jerusalem lands as “Green Areas” while 34% is slated to be used for colonial purposes. This classification leaves only 12% of total area of East Jerusalem for Palestinian use.
To pillaging as much Palestinian lands in Jerusalem as possible, Israeli occupation authorities have used a number of methods including the following:
• Confiscating the land for “military and colonial purposes. • Forging documents and using fraud and collusion by the Israel Land Authority. • The pretext of using the land for “Public Benefit.’ This type of confiscated lands is usually used in establishing by-pass roads and public utilities which usually serve colonies and outposts in the City. • Placing the hand on “Absentee Properties” despite the fact some of the owners of the property are present and have the needed documents to prove ownership of the targeted lands. • Seizing the land under the pretext of being “Green Areas”, “Open Areas” and for the purpose of “protecting the environment.” • The construction of the Annexation and Expansion Wall • The combination of the afore-mentioned tools has left Palestinian Jerusalemites with a mere 10,000 dunums for natural expansion, half of which is already built up. The 10,000 dunums represent only 10% of what Palestinian Jerusalemites used to own before the year 1967.
The Policy of Site Planning and Zoning
According to the indicated policy, most of the lands in East Jerusalem located in the vicinity of Palestinian population centers were classified as Green Areas or Open Areas in which building is not allowed. The policy distinguishes between two type of Green Areas; dark green in which no Palestinian building or usage is allowed while the light green areas indicates the ability of farming the land under the condition that the crops do not grow to more than 1 meter high. The latter type of areas can be re-classified to building areas (that is in case the ownership of the land is transferred to Jewish ownership).
This policy aims at preventing Palestinians from further expansion. According to Teddy Kolek, the former mayor of Jerusalem, the Green Areas are considered to be a “strategic reserve to build colonies in Jerusalem.” In case lands are needed to establish or expand colonies, the Green and Open Areas can be transferred to become “buildable” areas almost overnight. Case in point is the Ramat HaShokeit area near Shu’fat as its Master Plan that was approved in 1991 classified it as Green Area only to be changed in 1993 to become lands that can be used for Jew- ish building. Another case is the lands of Jabal Abu Ghunaim which were classified in 1990 a Forest and changed in 1993 to make it an area for building and development. That step was a prelude for building the colony of Har Homa that is currently expanding on daily basis.
27 Chapter 3
Pic.14: The Abu Ghunaim forest
Pic.15 + 16: Changing the status of the forest to enable it to be used for building the colony of Har Homa.
Another zoning tool that was used to limit Palestinian expansion is the reclassification of Pal- estinian Built-Up Areas to Open Areas. The prime example of this policy is Al Bustan Neigh- borhood in Silwan. This racist policy has led to the following:
• The presence of 42,000 “illegal” Palestinian housing units of which 27,000 are under the threat of being demolished for being built “without a permit.” • The presence of 37 Israeli colonies in East Jerusalem with a total colonist population of 217,355. The total build-up area of these colonies has exceeded 43,750 dunums. • The presence of 20 colonial outposts.
Pic. 17: The colony of Ma’ale HaZayteim expanding in Pic.18: The colony of Pisgat Ze’ev – annexed into Jerusa- Ras Al Amoud. lem while the village of Anata became isolated behind the Racist Wall. Picture courtesy of Mahmoud Elyyan and published in Al Quds Newspaper on September 7th, 2009.
28 Jerusalem Under Occupation Affected In effect, the deci - In effect, sion isolates the residents of Ras Khamis and Ras Shihada Al Sahl residents Al Tur resident. Al Tur Al Khalidi and Al Khalidi Nusseiba clans - - Violating Party Violating Israeli Ministry of “De - fense” Israeli High Court Jerusalem Municipality Municipality Jerusalem the land under the pretext is not zoned The colonists in coopera au - occupation with tion thorities. Municipality Jerusalem Moskovitch Ervin and Dr. Aterete Cohanim Move - ment Israeli occupation author Israeli occupation ities residents. Waqf lands Waqf Agricultural Type of Land Type used by Al Tur Common lands A/4904 T/01/09 Building Plan Military Order 1 30 19 10 3.5 161 506 1,000 12,000 Area in Area Dunums - Purpose The linking between the col - the between linking The and Adumim of Ma’ale onies Kidar Enlargement of the military of the Enlargement west - the at placed terminal ern entrance of the Camp Placing hands and issuing demolition orders Expanding of a colony The enlargement of the colo - the of enlargement The Adam, Migron and nies of Shi’ar Benyamin To establish a Jewish reli a establish To gious school Establishment of Ishaq Tent Tent of Ishaq Establishment Synagogue Construction of the Annexa - Construction of the Wall tion and Expansion Location Abu Dis and Bethany Shu’fat Camp Al Sahl area in Al Tur Al Mukaber Al Tur – Al Ghars area Bethany Al Bayyara Lands – The Old City Abu Dis Month April March Feb. January Table 1: The following table lists the confiscated lands in Jerusalem Governorate in 2009 1: The following table lists the confiscated lands in Jerusalem Governorate Table 29 Chapter 3 - Affected The heirs of Hajj Husni Jaber Far han and his wife Ni’ama Mr. Mohammad Mr. Abu Jamal Sarhan The clans of Al The clans of Qadamani, Naz - zal and Abu Al Hawa The French Hos - pital and residents of Lifta Violating Party Violating Jerusalem Municipality El A’ad colonists A’ad El Israeli colonists Jerusalem Municipality Gush Emunim and the Is - Gush Emunim and the rael Authority Land Type of Land Type A cemetery that cemetery A remains has the of Muslims Military Order 2 3 7 2 0.5 Area in Area Dunums - Purpose Land takeover for the pur for the takeover Land biblical pose of establishing parks Land takeover A new colony. A Attempts to takeover lands To implement a colonial plan a colonial implement To - Location Islamic lands Waqf near Bab Al Rahma Cem etery Sheikh Jarrah Al Mukaber Al Tur The vicinity of the French Hospital located east of Sheikh Jarrah Month July June May 30 Jerusalem Under Occupation Affected Salah clan and others Residents of Al Jabal Mukaber and Al Sawahreh Residents of Al Isawiyya Residents of Anat, Al Tur and Bethany. Violating Party Violating Israeli colonist Israel Land Authority and Israel Land Keren Kimit Fund Ma’ale Adumim Ma’ale colony and the Israeli occupation forces The colony of Ma’ale Ad - colony of Ma’ale The umim as the corner stone of the new colony was placed with the presence of MKs and ministers. unused lands unused lands Type of Land Type Agricultural and Agricultural and - efit” 10188 09/02/5 which called for land confiscation for Military Order the “Public Ben 170 550 539 12,000 Area in Area Dunums 27,026 - Purpose tion of 500 new colonial housing units on the lands of the village. To implement the colonial To project number B 1134 which calls for the construc Occupation authorities placed an Organizational Plan Number 10188 calling for changing the status of the land to become Green Lands in which building is prohibited To enlarge parts of By-Pass enlarge To Road 1 serving the colonies Adumim and of Ma’ale Mishor Adumim. The establishment of the Adumim colony of Masfarat as part of the E1 Plan - Location Beit Safafa Al Farooq Neighbor hood in Jabal Al Mukaber Anata Al Tur – An - ata – Bethany Month Total Nov. August 31 Chapter 3 - Affected Sbeitani clan Residents of the Old City Palestinian Jeru salemites of Kufr Aqab Land Type Green area - Goal The addition of 5 rooms in the loca - tion Construction of Construction tunnels, 9 “bibli cal parks”, 100 synagogues in - side the Old City year the before 2020. The Jerusalem ap - Municipality proved the con - 20 of struction units colonial then the initially, of the demolition con - and Hotel ad - 100 structing ditional units. The addition of 45 mobile cara - vans. - ipality kovitsh Ir Amim colonists Israeli Entity Israeli colonists Dr. Irvin Mos - Dr. One house and a parking lot for Jerusalem munic 5 1 45 120 120 Units No. of Colonial Colony New plan Shepherds Hotel and its vicinity Beit Oriet New plan Kochav Yaqoub Location The Old City Mount of Olives Sheikh Jarrah Beit Hanina Kufr Aqab Month July Aug. Table 2: The following table documents the expansion of Israeli colonies in Jerusalem Governorate year 2009. 2: Table 32 Jerusalem Under Occupation - Affected Al Zahayka fam ily and others Al Tur residents Al Tur Land Type Agricultural Colony expansion Goal A new colonial A plan to expand the said colony The celebration of The celebration placing the corner the stone to build second phase of 90 ad - the colony. ditional units are planned. E1 Plan - ipality Ehud Barak Building ap Israeli Entity proved by Min - The Israeli Gov. The Israeli Gov. The Israeli Gov. ister of Defense, Jerusalem Munic - 89 76 25 500 105 3500 4,662 Units No. of Colonial Colony Rekhis Shu’fat Nof Zion Ma’ale Adumim Ma’ale Giv’at Ze’ef Adumim Misfarat Kidar Location Shu’fat Al Mukaber Abu Dis and Al Abu Dis and Sawahra Beit Hanina Al Tur Abu Dis Month Nov. Oct. Total Sept. 33
- Chapter Four -
The Racist Isolation and Annexation Wall
Jerusalem Under Occupation
The Annexation and Expansion Wall
Pic.19: Two children from Al Jahaleen Bedouins in despair due to the Israeli occupation policy against their families.
Facts and Figures about the Wall in Jerusalem
Israeli occupation forces started the construction of the Annexation and Expansion Wall in the Governorate of Jerusalem in 2003. Two sections were built north and south of Jerusalem; the northern section begins at the town of Betonia until it reaches Qalandia refugee camp. As for the southern section, it begins from the entrance of the city of Bethlehem until it reaches the city of Beit Sahur in the east. In September 2003, Israeli occupation forces issued military orders designating the route of the Wall in the remaining sections of the Governorate starting from the eastern areas of Beit Sahur until it reaches Bethany northwards and from the southern parts of the town of Anata until it reaches Qalandia refugee camp. Up to date, the construction of the Wall is completed in the vicinity of the villages of Bir Nibala, Al Juweida, Al Jib, Beit Haniona Al Balad in addition to Al Nabi Samuel.
The Wall consists of a series of cement slaps, staffed military checkpoints, electronic checking through terminals, roads, electrical fences and barbwires. The Wall in Jerusalem runs over a distance of 77,122 meters with a width of 100 meters and a height of 8 meters. More than 10 terminal and checkpoints control the entrance and exit of Palestinians into Jerusalem. They include Betonia, Atarot, Qalandia, Ras Abu Sbeitan, Gilo, Bethany, Al Walajeh, Anata, Hizma and Mazmouria.
In case the construction of the Wall comes to completion, it will isolate around 152,918 du- nums of Jerusalem Governorate lands. Up to date, the Racist Wall has devoured around 7,712 dunums beneath its route while annexing 24 Palestinian communities with a total area of 17,320 dunums (refer to Table 3) in addition to 24 Israeli colonies into the made-up boundaries of Jerusalem Municipality. According to the Head of the Economic Committee in the Israeli Knesset, the estimated cost of building one kilometer of the Wall is about $ 4.7 million.
The Racist Wall can only be characterized as a true and real catastrophe on Jerusalem and on Palestinian Jerusalemites in all aspects including the social, economic, cultural and political facets of their daily lives. Given that Israeli occupation authorities have described the Wall as “political boundaries”, it means the total control of the movement and lives of Palestinian Jerusalemites and isolating them completely form their natural and demographical dimension in the West Bank’s hinterland. 37 Chapter 4
Pic. 20: The Racist Isolation Wall devours Abu Dis lands.
The political motives behind the construction of the Wall were declared via a speech delivered by the East Jerusalem File Manager at the Jerusalem Municipally, Yakeir Seigheiv, at a Labor Party Youth Convention. In his speech, Seigheiv indicated that the Wall had political and de- mographical motives and that it succeeded in evicting more than 50,000 Palestinian Jerusale- mites !!!!.
ARAB STUDIES SOCIETY JERUSALEM DISTRICT - ISRAELI CHECKPOINTS & TERMINALS Land Rresearch Center
LRC Sep. 2010 !"$ GIS & Mapping Unit !"$ !"$ Sea of Galille !"$ !"$
JENIN a !"$ e !"$ !"$ S
n TULKARM TUBAS a e !"$ n a QALQILYA r NABLUS r e t i SALFIT d e M RAMALLAH JERICHO
JERUSALEM BETHLEHEM !"$
HEBRON Dead Sea !"$ GAZA Strip
0 25 50 Kilometers ® !"$ !"$ Legend !"$ Lsraeli Checkpoints & Terminals !"$ !"$ Annexation & Expansion Wall !"$ !"$ !"$ Israeli Colony !"$ Pal. Built up Area !"$ Jerusalem District 0 5 10 West Bank Kilometers ¯ Map 14: The checkpoints and terminals suffocating Jerusalem. The nature and makeup of the Racist Wall surrounding Jerusalem renders the Palestinian at- tempts to lessen its negative impact useless as Palestinian Jerusalemites are not free to work, to get medication, to go for prayers or to get education. The Israeli occupation’s declaration that it opened special offices at the Terminals to provide services for the Blue ID holders living outside the Wall is nothing but a temporary measure that will fade in time. These measures are designed to collect information in their regard and to make the full separation a reality. Once the Wall is completed, the Palestinian Jerusalemites living inside the boundaries will become locked in while those living outside it will be unable to reach Jerusalem.
38 Jerusalem Under Occupation
Table 3: The Palestinian communities in Jerusalem Table 4: Israeli colonies annexed and that will be an- isolated by the Wall nexed by the Racist Wall No. Community No. Community 1 Al Thuri 1 The French Hill (Giv’at Shapira) 2 Parts of the village of Al Jib 2 The Hebrew University (Har Hatsofiem) 3 Al Sawahra Al Gharbiya 3 The Jewish Neighborhood 4 Al Sheikh Sa’ad 4 Neve Yaqoub 5 Al Suwwana 5 Pisgat Ze’ev 6 Al Seiha 6 Pisgat O’her 7 Al Tur 7 Tel Piot 8 Al Issawiyya 8 Giv’at Hamtous 9 The Old City of Jerusalem 9 Giv’at Hadasha 10 Nabi Samuel 10 Giv’on 11 Al Walajeh 11 Gilo 12 Al Sheikh Jarrah 12 Ras Al Amoud (Ma’ale Hazateim) 13 Umm Tuba 13 Ramat Ashkol 14 Bab Al Sahera 14 Ramot 15 Beit Iksa 15 Reikhis Shu’fat (Ramat Shlomo) 16 Beit Hanina 16 Atarot 17 Beit Safafa 17 Kiryat David 18 Ras Al Amoud 18 Occupied houses in the Old City 19 Silwan 19 Mifaseiret Etzion 20 Sur Baher 20 Neve Shamo’eil (Nabi Samuel) 21 Sharafat 21 Har Adar 22 Shu’fat 22 Har Gilo 23 Parts of Qalandia 23 Har Homa 24 Wadi Al Joz 24 Har Shamo’eil
Source: 2009 Statistics from the Monitoring of Israeli Source: 2009 Statistics from the Monitoring of Israeli Violations Unit – LRC. Violations Unit – LRC
39
- Chapter Five -
Violation of the Right to Housing
Jerusalem Under Occupation
The demolition of Palestinian Houses in Jerusalem
The demolition of Palestinian hous- es, especially in East Jerusalem, is an integral Israeli policy stemming from a colonial Zionist strategy aimed at emptying Jerusalem from its original Palestinian inhabitants and replac- ing them with Israeli colonists.
The Jerusalem Municipality carries out the demolition of Palestinian houses using a number of pretexts including lack or permit, the build- ing is constructed on non-zoned area, the building is located in close proximity of the Annexation and Ex- pansion Wall, among others. There is no doubt that Palestinian Jerusalem- Pic.21: Israeli occupation machinery while demolishing the house ites find themselves obliged to build of Mr. Imad Bisharat in Shu’fat. without a permit due to the compli- cated and even impossible process and conditions set forth by the Municipality to gain such a permit. At the same time, such process is a smooth one when permits are needed for colonial housing units or even whole neighborhoods. Moreover, the demolition of Palestinian houses are usually taking place immediately while Israeli houses are left standing despite of its non- adherence to the conditions of the permit, if it exists in the first place.
LRC has documented more than 970 cases of eviction and demolition in Jerusalem between the year 2000 and 2009. The establishment of the Annexation and Expansion Wall led to the demolition of tens of Palestinian houses while preventing hundreds of other houses to be built in its vicinity. Moreover, the Wall has affected negatively the environment in general and spe- cifically for the Palestinian houses as it deprived it from access to the needed sunlight, air and space.
43 Chapter 5
Table 5: House demolition in Jerusalem by location during 2000
No. of housing No. of No. of family No. of Location Area M2 units rooms members children
Al Mukaber 3 10 370 10 7
Issawiya 24 52 831 194 85
Old city 1 1 65 9 2
Shu'fat 3 17 422 35 22
Silwan 6 29 670 31 11
Total 37 109 2358 279 127
Old City Silwan Al 'Isawiya Jabal al Mukabbir Shu'fat & Shu'fat Camp
44 Jerusalem Under Occupation
Table 6: House demolition in Jerusalem by month during 2000
Month No. of housing units No. of rooms
January 1 1 February 1 6 March 1 5 April 23 46 May 0 0 June 3 10 July 0 0 August 8 41 September 0 0 October 0 0 November 0 0 December 0 0 Total 37 109
January February March April May Jun July August September October November December
45 Chapter 5
Table 7: House demolition in Jerusalem by location during 2001
No. of housing Area No.of family No. of chil- Location No. of rooms units M2 members dren
Al 'Eizariya 1 5 250 18 11
Al Mukaber 1 4 65 4 2
Anata 3 14 410 14 10
Azza'yim 2 8 250 18 6
Beit Hanina 18 109 2965 113 70
Mount Olives 1 5 720 15 7
Qalandiya 2 15 1427 7 4
Shu'fat 40 190 4734 259 127
Silwan 4 23 512 52 33
Total 72 373 11333 500 270
Qalandiya Mount Olives Izzariya Azza'yim Anata Silwan Shu'fat Beit Hanina Al Mukaber
46 Jerusalem Under Occupation
Table 8: House demolition in Jerusalem by month during 2001
Month No. of housing units No. of rooms
January 0 0 February 2 15 March 0 0 April 4 17 May 1 5 June 2 10 July 37 167 August 11 66 September 3 15 October 12 78 November 0 0 December 0 0 Total 72 373
January February March April May Jun July August September October November December
47 Chapter 5
Table 9: House demolition in Jerusalem by location during 2002
No. of housing Area No. of family No. of chil- Location No. of rooms units M2 members dren
Al Tur 2 4 120 7 4
Ar Ram 4 12 395 29 13
Beit Hanina 16 76 1987 109 64
Beit Iksa 3 8 540 10 5
Issawiya 15 71 1611 79 43
Old city 1 4 70 18 4
Shu'fat 6 36 895 52 28
Silwan 3 6 146 31 24
Sur Baher 13 75 2130 60 36
Um Tuba 2 6 120 17 2
Wadi Al Juz 4 17 540 24 8
Total 69 315 8554 436 231
Issawiya Shu'fat Beit Hanina Um Tuba Silwan Wadi Al Juz Sur Baher Ar Ram Altur Beit Iksa Old city
48 Jerusalem Under Occupation
Table 10: House demolition in Jerusalem by month during 2002
Month No. of housing units No. of rooms
January 18 93
February 7 34
March 0 0
April 0 0
May 11 44
June 13 75
July 1 2
August 0 0
September 1 4
October 9 39
November 9 24
December 0 0
Total 69 315
January February March April May Jun July August September October November December
49 Chapter 5
Table 11: House demolition in Jerusalem by location during 2003
No. of housing No. of Area No. of family No. of Location units rooms M2 members children Al 'Eizariya 4 6 575 20 6 Al Jib 10 28 715 128 86 Al Mukaber 4 17 332 24 17 Al Walaja 14 49 1190 54 15 Anata 6 28 750 15 7 Ar Ram 2 5 110 21 9 As Sawahra Ash Sharqiya 2 2 100 20 12 Azzua'ym 1 9 200 10 6 Beit Hanina 30 112 4202 188 105 Beit Safafa 2 8 200 8 2 Beit Surik 2 10 250 25 12 Bido 1 5 130 9 7 Bir Nabala 6 7 220 51 32 Hizma 4 16 450 18 11 Issawiya 13 64 1630 59 31 Mount of Olives 6 36 1000 7 N/A Old city 1 3 80 15 5 Qalandiya 9 36 2800 49 16 Qatana 1 2 120 5 3 Sheik Sa'ad 1 5 110 7 4 Sheikh Jarrah 2 7 160 3 0 Shu'fat 4 16 610 21 14 Silwan 9 37 1086 40 26 Sur Baher 11 60 1810 48 30 Total 145 568 18830 845 456
Issawiya Shu'fat Beit Hanina Um Tuba Silwan Wadi Al Juz Sur Baher Ar Ram Altur Beit Iksa Old city 50 Jerusalem Under Occupation
Table 12: House demolition in Jerusalem by month during 2003
Month No. of housing units No. of rooms
January 11 44
February 2 8
March 24 89
April 28 133
May 1 5
June 11 33
July 5 22
August 20 79
September 13 66
October 9 37
November 0 0
December 21 52
Total 145 568
January February March April May Jun July August September October November December 51 Chapter 5
Table 13: House demolition in Jerusalem by location during 2004
No. of housing No. of Area No. of family No. of Location units rooms M2 members children Abu Dis 12 36 810 67 39 Al Jib 1 4 120 5 1 Al Mukaber 4 15 315 20 8 Anata 76 126 4092 275 147 As Sawhra 1 7 140 7 5 Beit Hanina 43 161 5763 241 155 Bir Nabala 4 17 541 29 16 Issawiya 2 6 250 8 6 Kafr Aqab 4 22 440 22 14 Mount of Olives 2 9 160 15 11 Old city 1 1 16 7 5 Qalandiya 4 11 220 12 6 Qatana 2 10 400 4 0 Shu'fat 10 28 1650 43 30 Silwan 13 50 1225 84 43 Sur Baher 3 11 310 10 5 Wadi Al Juz 1 4 80 5 3 Total 183 518 15632 854 494
Beit Hanina Silwan Shu'fat Mount Olives Anata Kafr Aqab Qalandiya Al Mukaber Sur Baher Bir Nabala Abu Dis Al Jib Wadi Al Juz Issawiya As Sawhra Old city Qatana
52 Jerusalem Under Occupation
Table 14: House demolition in Jerusalem by month during 2004
Month No. of housing units No. of rooms
January 6 30
February 20 87
March 7 35
April 2 12
May 4 15
June 29 116
July 0 0
August 16 65
September 2 6
October 0 0
November 74 72
December 23 80
Total 183 518
January February March April May Jun July August September October November December
53 Chapter 5
Table 15: House demolition in Jerusalem by location during 2005
No. of housing No. of Area No. of family No. of Location units rooms M2 members children Al 'Eizariya 4 18 640 21 5 Al Mukaber 10 60 1600 62 32 Al Walaja 6 6 504 36 11 Anata 3 15 280 29 24 Ath Thuri 2 12 400 10 6 Beit Hanina 26 132 3009 140 93 Dahiayt Al Barid 1 2 40 4 2 Issawiya 9 46 1293 52 26 Kafr Aqab 3 13 515 11 6 Mount of Olives 38 78 3490 55 29 Old city 4 7 137 20 10 Shu'fat 1 6 64 8 5 Silwan 9 41 1020 70 28 Sur Baher 4 5 330 13 4 Total 120 441 13322 531 270
Al Walaja Old city Beit Hanina Mount olives Sur Baher Kafr Aqab Silwan Al Mukaber Izzariya Anata Ath Thuri Issawiya Shu'fat Dahiayt Al Barid
54 Jerusalem Under Occupation
Table 16: House demolition in Jerusalem by month during 2005
Month No. of housing units No. of rooms
January 8 9 February 29 6 March 7 30 April 22 114 May 3 13 June 15 87 July 12 57 August 2 14 September 3 16 October 0 0 November 11 49 December 8 46 Total 120 441
January February March April May Jun July August September October November December
55 Chapter 5
Table 17: House demolition in Jerusalem by location during 2006
No. of housing No. of Area No. of family No. of Location units rooms M2 members children Al Mukaber 8 37 655 38 15 Al Walaja 6 27 660 47 23 Altur 1 3 70 7 4 Anata 1 3 100 10 5 As Sawhra 1 7 200 7 5 Azzua'ym 1 5 140 10 7 Beit Hanina 29 127 3539 192 125 Beit Iksa 2 7 260 5 3 Issawiya 8 30 770 52 27 Jab'a 2 8 232 12 4 Old city 1 3 70 7 5 Qatana 1 3 80 13 7 Shu'fat 13 51 1016 37 21 Silwan 1 3 60 7 5 Um Allahem 1 4 100 4 2 Um Tuba 1 5 90 7 2 Wadi Al Juz 1 3 50 7 4 Total 78 326 8092 462 264
Beit Hanina Al Walaja Silwan Shu'fat Issawiya Al Mukaber As Sawhra Um Allahem Jab'a Beit Iksa Azzua'ym Wadi Al Juz Um Tuba Qatana Anata Mount olives Old city
56 Jerusalem Under Occupation
Table 18: House demolition in Jerusalem by month during 2006
Month No. of housing units No. of rooms
January 11 51
February 6 31
March 7 28
April 2 10
May 4 12
June 3 9
July 3 9
August 14 69
September 1 6
October 0 0
November 11 43
December 16 58
Total 78 326
January February March April May Jun July August September October November December
57 Chapter 5
Table 19: House demolition in Jerusalem by location during 2007
No. of housing No. of Area No. of family No. of Location units rooms M2 members children Al 'Eizariya 5 22 500 38 28 Al Mukaber 4 7 460 18 13 Altur 19 64 1220 66 41 An Nabi Samwil 1 2 40 5 3 Anata 7 13 570 43 23 As Sawhra 2 5 120 15 10 Ath Thuri 2 7 300 5 3 Beit Hanina 9 37 982 52 26 Beit Safafa 2 6 200 5 0 Issawiya 2 10 350 11 8 Mount of Olives 5 20 560 26 14 Old city 5 15 325 46 23 Sheikh Jarrah 1 6 150 4 1 Shrfat 1 5 110 12 8 Shu'fat 1 4 80 7 4 Silwan 4 15 373 31 17 Sur Baher 20 100 2775 105 69 Um Allahem 1 6 150 7 4 Wadi Al Juz 3 11 270 20 7 Total 94 355 9535 516 302
Mount olives Silwan Ath Thuri Um Allahem Sur Baher As Sawhra Al Mukaber An Nabi Samwil Beit Hanina Izzariya Sheikh Jarrah Issawiya Wadi Al Juz Beit Safafa Shrfat Old city Shu'fat Anata
58 Jerusalem Under Occupation
Table 20: House demolition in Jerusalem by month during 2007
Month No. of housing units No. of rooms
January 25 128
February 15 45
March 7 56
April 1 8
May 12 64
June 8 46
July 9 70
August 3 19
September 7 41
October 0 0
November 2 N/A
December 5 39
Total 94 39
Mount olives Silwan Ath Thuri Um Allahem Sur Baher As Sawhra Al Mukaber An Nabi Samwil Beit Hanina Izzariya Sheikh Jarrah Issawiya Wadi Al Juz Beit Safafa Shrfat Old city Shu'fat Anata
59 Chapter 5
Table 21: House demolition in Jerusalem by location during 2008
No. of housing No. of Area No. of family No. of Location units rooms M2 members children Al 'Eizariya 1 5 140 9 5 Al Jib 3 10 380 27 12 Al Mukaber 3 4 111 22 16 Altur 10 24 821 44 22 An Nabi Samwil 5 5 250 43 32 Anata 5 17 400 34 12 Ath Thuri 2 4 170 14 4 Beit Hanina 27 83 2914 176 111 Hizma 3 9 230 14 8 Issawiya 12 18 1585 20 12 Kafr 'Aqab 2 3 380 11 5 Mikhmas 7 0 N/A 31 18 Old city 2 4 92 18 12 Sheikh Jarrah 1 N/A 30 N/A N/A Shu'fat 5 26 775 40 23 Silwan 4 14 304 29 16 Wadi Al Juz 3 6 172 14 7 Total 95 232 8754 546 315
Mikhmas Beit Hanina Al Mukaber Kafr 'Aqab An Nabi Samwil Al Jib Shu'fat Old city Wadi Al Juz Ath Thuri Issawiya Hizma Anata Mount olives Silwan Sheikh Jarrah Izzariya
60 Jerusalem Under Occupation
Table 22: House demolition in Jerusalem by month during 2008
Month No. of housing units No. of rooms
January 21 35
February 7 9
March 7 16
April 6 20
May 9 15
June 7 18
July 16 62
August 7 8
September 0 0
October 0 0
November 10 35
December 5 14
Total 94 39
January February March April May Jun July August September October November December
61 Chapter 5
Table 23: House demolition in Jerusalem by location during 2009
No. of housing No. of Area No. of family No. of Location units rooms M2 members children Al 'Eizariya 7 25 500 72 47 Al 'Isawiya 4 11 510 31 19 At Tur 3 8 250 28 16 Ath Thuri 2 6 140 13 4 Beit Hanina 11 40 1377 86 46 Beit Safafa 1 5 120 7 5 Dahiyat al Bareed 2 10 400 32 17 Jabal al Mukabbir 7 18 458 46 19 Old City 12 18 302 69 30 Shu'fat & Shu'fat Camp 5 18 530 26 13 Silwan 12 27 745 75 48 Sur Bahir 11 41 1240 70 32 Total 77 227 6572 554 295
Silwan Beit Hanina Dahiayt Al Barid Shu'fat & Shu'fat Camp Issawiya Mount olives Izzariya Sur Baher Old city Beit Safafa Al Mukaber Ath Thuri
62 Jerusalem Under Occupation
Table 24: House demolition in Jerusalem by month during 2009
Month No. of housing units No. of rooms
January 6 25 February 11 38 March 10 36 April 4 12 May 1 2 June 10 16 July 7 20 August 2 3 September 0 0 October 11 42 November 14 31 December 1 3 Total 77 228
January February March April May Jun July August September October November December
63 Chapter 5
Table 25: House demolition in Jerusalem by years During (2000-2009)
No. of housing No. of Area No. of family No. of Year units rooms M2 members children
2000 37 109 2358 279 127
2001 72 373 11333 500 270
2002 69 315 8554 436 231
2003 145 568 18830 845 456
2004 183 518 16532 854 494
2005 120 441 13322 531 270
2006 78 326 8092 462 264
2007 94 355 9535 516 302
2008 95 232 8754 546 315
2009 77 228 6572 554 294
Total 970 3465 103882 5523 3021
64 Jerusalem Under Occupation
Table 26: House demolition in Jerusalem by Locations During (2000- 2009)
No. of housing No. of housing No. Location No. Location units units 1 Abu Dis 12 19 Hizma 3 2 Al 'Eizariya 22 20 Hizma 7 3 Al Jib 14 21 Issawiya 89 4 Al Mukaber 47 22 Jab'a 2 5 Al Walaja 26 23 Kafr 'Aqab 9 6 Altur 87 24 Mikhmas 7 7 An Nabi Samwil 6 25 Old city 28 8 Anata 98 26 Qalandiya 15 9 Ar Ram & Dahiyat al Bareed 9 27 Qatana 4 10 As Sawhra 6 28 Sheik Sa'ad 1 11 Ath Thuri 8 29 Sheikh Jarrah 4 12 Azzua'ym 4 30 Shrfat 1 13 Beit Safafa 5 31 Shu'fat 88 14 Beit Hanina 209 32 Silwan 65 15 Beit Iksa 5 33 Sur Baher 62 16 Beit Surik 2 34 Um Allahem 2 17 Bido 1 35 Wadi Al Juz 12 18 Bir Nabala 10 Total 205 Total 765 Grand Total 970
65 Chapter 5
The demolition of the Palestinian houses in Jerusalem is a major economic loss; the average cost of building 1 m2 in Jerusalem is about $300 the loss of which is devastating especially in light of the current economic crisis worldwide. Moreover, the loss for the Palestinian nation is much bigger in terms of the negative social, psychological, cultural in addition to the economic effects of the demolition on its victims. The scars of house demolition will be carried and felt
throughout the generations. B e i t N u b a Map 15: Jerusalem neighborhoods and the number of demolished Palestinian houses. B e i t S L e i r a ! ! ! ! A ! ! L a > ! ! r g e ! ! ! a
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66 i ) Jerusalem Under Occupation
The Offensive against Palestinian Shelters in Jerusalem in Pictures
Pic. 22: An olive tree standing amongst the debris of the Pic.23: The demolition of the house of Mr. Mohammad house of Mr. Musa attoun – Sur Baher. Al Masri located across from a synagogue.
Pic. 24: The ruins of the house of Mr. Waleed Moham- Pic.25: Mr. Attiya Qaraein stands atop the debris of his mad Al Jabari as the colony of Pisgat Ze’ev expands in house in Beit Hanina. the background.
Pic. 26: The ruins of the house of Mr. Amjad Khamis Pic.27: A tent erected atop the rubble of the house in Teryaqi Beit Hanina.
67 Chapter 5
Stop Work and Demolition Orders against Palestinian Shelters in Jerusalem
Israeli occupation authorities have Table 27: The number of threatened houses in 2009 by locality issued at least 538 Stop Work and No. of demolition orders against Palestin- Family Location threatened ian shelters in 2009 in East Jerusa- members houses lem. That is compared to only 142 such orders in the year 2008. The Al Issawiyya 39 125 feverish offensive against Palestin- Al Sawahra Al Sharqia 2 10 ian building in Jerusalem has inten- Al Thuri 4 27 sified under the current head of the Al Tur 38 263 Municipality, the die-hard Zionist Al Walajeh 1 10 Nir Barakat. The offensive took the Beit Hanina 89 439 form of the distribution en mass of Stop Work and demolition orders Jabal Al Mukabber 72 282 to whole neighborhoods and build- Qalandia 1 15 ings in which more than 200 Pales- Samirameis 22 130 tinians live. The aim of this policy is Sheikh Jarrah 1 7 to accelerate the Judaization of the Shu’fat and its Refugee Camp 79 591 Holy City. Silwan 171 2022 More than 4000 Palestinian living The Old City 19 121 in 538 shelters are currently liv- Total 538 4042 ing in a state of fear and anxiety Source: Land Research Center – Field Work 2009 over what the future is holding for them. The neighborhood that was targeted the most was Silwan as it received 171 Stop Work orders followed by Beit Hanina which received 89 such orders. Also, out of the 538 Stop Work and demolition orders, whole neighborhoods were targeted including those of Al Bustan, Sheikh Jarrah, Al Sahl and Ras Khamis. The number of targeted houses is 277 in which 2568 Palestinians live including 1520 children – see table 28 -. Moreover, entire apartment buildings were also notified with the intention to demolish them including the buildings of Al Sheikh, Al Joulani, Al Sunbula, Al Muhtaseb and Thamein Fayyala. The total number of apartments in the said buildings is 107 apartments in which 733 Palestinians live including 430 children.
Table 28: Palestinian neighborhoods threatened with demolition in East Jerusalem
No. of No. of Apart- No. of Neighborhood Location Affected Buildings ments Children Al Bustan Silwan 88 130 1500 850 Al Ja’ayeis Jabal Al Mukabber 60 60 207 117 Al Sahl Al Tur 19 29 190 120 Ras Khamis Shu’fat 55 55 500 350 Sameirameis Sameirameis 22 22 130 Sheikh Jarrah Sheikh Jarrah 28 63 378 200 Total 272 359 2905 1637 Source: Land Research Center – Arab Studies Society – Field Work 2009
68 Jerusalem Under Occupation
Pic.28: Ras Khamis Neighborhood Pic.29: General view of Al Ja’ayeis neighborhood threat- ened by demolition – pic by Mahmoud Elyyan.
Table 29: Buildings threatened with demolition
No. of No. of No. of Neighborhood Location Affected Buildings Apartments Children Al Sheikh 3 47 333 230 Silwan Awad Allah 1 13 65 44 Al Sunbula 1 18 120 55 Al Muhtaseb 1 17 115 50 Thamein Fayyala 1 15 105 60 Beit Hanina Al Qaimary and Al 1 13 91 60 Halhouli. Alqam 1 25 (..) (..) Shu’fat Al Joulani 1 10 60 35 Total 10 158 889 534 Source: Land Research Center – Arab Studies Society – Field Work 2009
Pic.30: One of Al Sheikh Buildings threatened with de- Pic.31: Al Qaimary and Al Halhouli Building. molition. 69 Chapter 5
Pic.32: Alqam Building in Beit Hanina
Pic.33: Awad Allah Building “Self” Demolition
This type of demolition is an old-new phenomenon that is a flagrant violation of the right to housing; it is an old phenomenon as Palestinian Jerusalemites would demolish their own homes in the dark without informing any one or any media outlet due to the shame associated with the process. Despite the fact that the number of houses demolished by their owners was large in the past, the numbers have increased exponentially to the degree that it pushed the victims to go public with this blatant infringement on the right to housing. The phenomenon goes like this: Israeli occupation authorities declare that the Palestinian house is illegal and has to be demolished as it was built with a permit from the Jerusalem Municipality. The demoli- tion order usually gives the owners a specific time limit during which the demolition must take place. Not only that. The owner must take pictures of the demolished house and submit it to the Building and Organization Department at the Jerusalem Municipality. Otherwise, the Municipality would refer the file to the court where a hefty fine would be imposed on the owner for violating the demolition order. In addition, the Municipality would demolish the house\structure and then charge the owner the cost of the demolition. If such costs and\or fines are not paid, the owner would find himself in prison until the amount owed is paid. In order to avoid all of these procedures, the Palestinian Jerusalemite find himself obligated to demolish his own house by himself in a very humiliating manner.
“Self demolition” is devastating on a number of levels and dimensions; when a father demol- ishes the house in front of the eyes of his sons it gives the indication that he is weak and unable to provide protection for them. In turn, this plants the seed of insecurity and uncertainty lead- ing to the depression of the children and casts a shadow of mistrust between them, the father and society in general. Other distressing effects of the self demolition include:
• The fact that a Palestinian is demolishing his own house by himself put him in the light that he is admitting his mistake. • It exonerates the Israeli occupation from the crime of house demolition and eviction. 70 Jerusalem Under Occupation
• Saves the occupation the time, effort and expenses of the demolition. • Hides the truth about the silent self demolitions. • Leaves negative psychological effects on the affected Palestinian families.
In the year 2009, it was reported that 25 Palestinian Jerusalemite families have demolished their own homes after being forced to do so by the Jerusalem Municipality. The said 25 houses used to provide shelter for more than 161 Palestinian including 88 children. The targeted hous- es are distributed throughout Jerusalem Governorate and mainly in the Old City of Jerusalem. Currently, all these Palestinians are living without a proper shelter.
Table 30: The number and locations of “self” demolished Palestinian houses in Jerusalem
No. of No. of No. of Family No. of Location Area in m2 Houses Rooms Members Children Al Mukabber 198 5 10 27 17 Al Tur 30 1 2 5 2 Beit Hanina 912 5 19 45 22 Silwan 150 2 7 11 7 Sur Baher 170 3 8 17 13 The Old City 277 9 13 56 27 Total 1737 25 59 161 88 Source: Land Research Center – Arab Studies Society – Field Work 2009
Pic.34: Mr. Shareef Mohammad Attoun demolishing his Pic.35: Mr. Khaled Al Sayyad demolishes part of his own home own house by himself – Sur Baher. Al Quds Newspaper March 5th, 2010.
There is no punishment more severe than demolishing your home with your own hands. But we don’t have the financial ability and resources to pay the fines and demolition fees for the Municipality. The house has cost us so far NIS 55,000 and we don’t have anything more to give.
The family of Mr. Abedl Naser Hmeida.
71 Chapter 5
Taking Over of Palestinian Houses in Jerusalem
Table 31: Palestinian houses in Jerusalem overtaken by Israeli colonists in 2009
No. Housing No. Name Date Location Organization Units Nahalat Shom’oan colo- 1 Umm Kamel Al Kurd 3-2-2009 Sheikh Jarrah 1 nial movement Ateret Cohanim colonial 2 Naser Jaber 2-4-2009 The Old City 1 movement 3 Rifqa Abdullah Al Kurd 11-6-2009 Sheikh Jarrah 1 Nahalat Shom’oan The deceased Hajj Hus- El Ad colonial move- 4 ni Jaber Farhan and his 26-7-2009 Sheikh Jarrah 1 ment wife Ni’ama The families of Hanoon 5 4-8-2009 Sheikh Jarrah 10 The Israeli court and Al Ghawi 6 Imad Dawood Siyam 16-8-2009 Silwan 1 Ateret Cohanim Hajja Fatima Al Da- 7 10-9-2009 The Old City 1 Israeli colonists woodi Mr. Abdel Mu’oti Abdel 8 31-12-2009 Sheikh Jarrah 1 Central Court Rahman Abu Qteish Total 17 Source: Land Research Center – Arab Studies Society – Field Work 2009
Taking over Palestinian homes in pictures
Pic.36: Israeli flags, a Menorah and a sentence in Hebrew written atop Al Ghawi house in Al Sheikh Jarrah. It says “The Children has Returned to their Borders.” All these symbols have changed the identity of the house, yet the memories of Al Ghawi family will still be engraved on the walls of the house despite all of the attempts of the colonists.
72 Jerusalem Under Occupation
Pic.37: Al Hannoon family living on the pavement after Pic.38: Two Israeli policemen guard the colonists who being thrown out of their homes by Israeli colonists - overtook the houses of Hannoon and Al Ghawi families Sheikh Jarrah. (AFP) - Sheikh Jarrah.
Pic.39: Mr. Abdel Mu’eti Abu Qtaish in front of his Pic.40: The Abu Qtaish house after Israeli colonists house before it was overtaken by Israeli colonists – moved into it – Sheikh Jarrah. Sheikh Jarrah.
Pic.41: The house of Mr. Naser Jaber overtaken by Is- Pic.42: The house of Hajja Rifqa Al Kurd overtaking by raeli colonists in Al Saidiyya Neighborhood in the Old colonists - Sheikh Jarrah. City. 73
Jerusalem Under Occupation
Conclusion
There isn’t a city that has seen such violent and brutal conflicts and repeated demolitions like Jerusalem. Yet, throughout the centuries the City did not lose its Arabic character for two main reasons; Arabs were the first to build the city and, secondly, despite all of the occupations that befell the City, it managed to keep a large portion of its Arab population intact that kept its unique Arabic shine.
However, what Jerusalem witnesses nowadays (including occupation, property confiscation, displacement, demolition, forgery of history and heritage) is considered by far the most dan- gerous campaign the city has faced throughout its long history.
The Palestine Liberation Organization has agreed in 1993 to participate in an unfair peace pro- cess on the hope of stopping the drain of land confiscation and the intensification of settlement activities and to put an end to the obliteration of Jerusalem’s Arab identity. Yet, the successive Israeli governments since then used to stepping up their attacks on the occupied city every time politicians inch closer to taking steps that could lead to peace in the region. As years have passed by, these governments have created more facts on the ground in Jerusalem and to vacate the city of its Palestinian population while continuing to to declare the city as Israel’s “Eternal Capital.”
For all of this, the Arab and Islamic worlds are demanded more than ever to defend the Arab and Islamic city of Jerusalem by all means due to its legacy as a religious, cultural, historical and human status. All efforts must be exerted as not to cede to a racist and hateful group of people who seek to change the facts of history and to impose new realities using the policy of expulsion, displacement, fraud and racial hatred. All such policies must be publicly, univer- sally, unequivocally and strongly rejected by all those who carry deep within them the values of justice, fairness and humanity.
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References
English References
1. Geographical Informatioin System (GIS) Department, Land Research Center – LRC, Arab Studies Society.
2. Israeli Violations Monitoring Department, Land Research Center – LRC, Arab Studies Society.
3. Maps and Geographical Informatioin System (GIS) Department, Arab Studies Society.
4. Discrimination in the Heart of the City, Dr. Ma’ir Marglet, 2008.
5. Annual Israeli Colonization Activities Statistics Report, Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), Ramallah – Palestine, 2008.
6. Jerusalem Annual Statistics Report, Vol. 10, Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), Ramallah – Palestine, 2008.
7. Peace Obstacles, Prof. Jeff Halbir, 2009.
8. UN Human Rights in Jerusalem Report, OCHA, 2007.
Web Sites
1. www.ir-amim.org.il , Ir Amim Society.
2. www.lrcj.org , Land Research Center.
3. www.poica.org , Monitoring Israeli Colonization Activities in the Palestinian Territories.
Arabic References
1.1االئتالف األهلي للدفاع عن حقوق الفلسطينيني في القدس، القدس الشرقية: تسخير سياسات وقوانني األرض والتخطيط لتغيير طابع احليز الفلسطيني في القدس، كانون أول 2009.
2. بديل،2 املركز الفلسطيني ملصادر حقوق املواطنة والالجئني - االقتالع، احلماية واستعادة احلقوق الفلسطينية في القدس – نيسان 1999.
3.3دراسة صراع على السكن في القدس، للبروفيسور الدكتور راسم خمايسة نشرت في مجلة دراسات فلسطينية، .2009
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79 Jesus weeps Jerusalem