“The Separation Barrier: Unintended Demographic Consequences of Security Policy” Marla Spivack February, 3 2012 DHP 207 GIS For International Applications Project Summary The goal of my project will be to demonstrate the unintended consequences of the separation barrier constructed by the Israeli government beginning in 2003 in attempt to ally security concerns during the second intifada. The separation barrier has been the subject of much debate both within Israel and in the international community. My project will not attempt to pass a judgment or express an opinion on the barrier’s security or human rights impacts. Instead, I would like to explore the way in which the wall has impact the demographics of Jerusalem, and how Palestinians on both sides have made decisions about where to live as a result of its construction. The barrier roughly follows the Green Line, which was the effective boarder between Israel and Jordan until 1967, when Israel gained control of the West Bank. However, the barrier goes around Jerusalem, placing it on the Israeli side. The government decided to place the barrier along the municipal municipal boarder of Jerusalem. This means that East Jerusalem is separated from the rest of the West Bank. However, prior to the construction of the barrier the neighborhoods of East Jerusalem were effectively contiguous with suburbs in the West Bank, and the barrier separated Jerusalem from these neighborhoods. Prior to the construction of the barrier many Palestinians who held blue residency cards (meaning that while they are not citizens of Israel they have the freedom to move within Israel) lived in Arab suburbs of Jerusalem, but worked in East or West Jerusalem. After the barrier was constructed these Blue Identity Card holders were still able to cross to the Israeli side, but passing the barrier added hours to the commute and made living in the West Bank and working in Jerusalem very inconvenient. As a result many Palestinians with this citizenship status choose to move from the West Bank to East Jerusalem to ease their commute. So many moved in fact that house prices, already inflated in Jerusalem, became higher in East Jerusalem neighborhoods than in coveted West Jerusalem neighborhoods. As a result of these price increases Arabs began to move out of East Jerusalem and into traditionally Jewish areas of the city. Both Shaul Arieli an expert on the boarders and negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians and the Economic Cooperation Foundation and Ariella Losice of the Jerusalem Founation discussed this narrative with me on a recent trip to Israel, but noted that no study has ever demonstrated that the phenomenon has actually taken place. I hope that this project will be able to demonstrate that the demographics of Jerusalem are in fact changing in the way that this narrative suggests. Relevant Spatial Questions 1. Did real estate prices East Jerusalem neighborhoods rise at a faster rate in the aftermath of the construction of the barrier than real estate prices in other neighborhoods? 2. Have Palestinians holding blue identity cards moved from areas on the Palestinian side of the separation barrier to the Israeli side of the barrier? 3. Have Palestinians relocated from traditionally Arab neighborhoods to traditionally Jewish neighborhoods? 4. Are there other explanations for the demographic change besides the construction of the separation barrier? 5. Has the zoning or land use in Arab areas of East Jerusalem changed since the construction of the barrier? 6. I am also interested in exploring this issue from a spatial justice perspective, but I am still exploring how to do that. References: “Jerusalem: Facts and Trends 2009/2010 .” Dr. Maya Choshen , Michal Korach. Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies. Web. 3 Feb 2012. <http://www.jiis.org/?cmd=publication.7&act=read&id=581> “Route of the Barrier Around Jerusalem." B'Tselem. B'Tselem, n.d. Web. 3 Feb 2012. <http://www.btselem.org/separation_barrier/jerusalem>. “A Geospatial Analysis of the Average Selling Price for New Apartments in Hangzhou, China” Chen, Ke; Shelley, Gary L; Baryla, Edward A, Jr. Journal of Housing Research20. 1 (2011): 19-34. Useful Resources from the Tufts GIS Websites: PolicyLink Community Mapping New Urban Research Center Data Sources I have a contact at the Jerusalem Foundation who works closely with and organization called the Jerusalem Institute for Israel studies. They conduct a great deal of research on the demographics and spatial issues within the city. The institute keeps excellent data sets including GIS data of the city of Jerusalem. It is likely that they have the data I will need, and will be willing to share it with me at no charge. .