The colonisation and ethnic cleansing of Jerusalem The city is therefore of central importance to both Muslim and Christian Palestinians in political, economic, social and religious terms. They regard East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. Under international law, Tel Aviv is in fact the capital of Israel, and that is where all foreign embassies are housed. However Israel has proclaimed Jerusalem the “undivided” and “eternal capital of Israel”. The beginnings of segregation and colonisation hen the United Nations voted in 1947 to partition Palestine, Jerusalem was designated Wan international zone, lying in the heart of what was intended as a Palestinian state. However, zionist militias overran the designated boundaries and “Israel’s main motivation is almost certainly demographic — to reduce the Palestinian population of Jerusalem, while exerting efforts to Dome of the Rock boost the number of Jewish Israelis living in the city — East and West” Jerusalem and Ramallah Heads of EU Missions Report December 2005 The Apartheid Wall is almost completed in Jerusalem, snaking around communities and shutting them out of the city. Settlements expand and new colonies emerge on the Palestinian lands left isolated behind the Wall. A 13.5 km railway built by French multinationals will integrate the illegal settlements into the city while further isolating Palestinians from their capital and their neighbours. As well as the fabric of the city, the historic ethnic, cultural and religious diversity of Jerusalem is being destroyed. Jerusalem’s Heritage or over two millennia Jerusalem has been a Israel is currently ‘renovating’ an entrance to the paradigm of religious, social and cultural diversity. Dome of the Rock having previously prevented the FFor many centuries it was home to a Muslim Islamic Waqf from repairing the entrance. This is majority, Christians of different denominations, and a in complete disregard of the fact that it is a World small Jewish community, all living in harmony under a Heritage site protected by UNESCO, who have variety of regimes. objected. The seventh century Dome of the Rock, next to the Al Palestinians and Muslims fear the work could Aqsa Mosque, is the most prominent building of the Old damage the ancient site — especially since City, and is sacred to Muslims as the place from which extremist Jewish groups constantly seek to the prophet Mohammed ascended to heaven, to meet with God. Jews have always been allowed access to destroy the compound to rebuild the Jewish pray at the Western Wall, bordering the Dome of the Temple there. The bridge being constructed by the Rock. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is perhaps the Israelis is big enough to hold armoured vehicles most sacred of the many churches in the Old City. As — to a site used daily for Muslim an international place of pilgrimage, Jerusalem was for pilgrimage and prayer. centuries the hub of the Palestinian economy. Find out more from Palestine Solidarity Campaign: www.palestinecampaign.org ISRAELI WALL AND SETTLEMENTS passport. The ID card can be revoked on a variety of AROUND OCCUPIED EAST JERUSALEM pretexts. Those studying or working abroad temporarily (February 2007) have lost their ID cards and their rights to return. Deir 'Ibzi Al Ain Bireh Deir Those working or living in the West Bank, because of Arik Ramallah Dibwan PSAGOT Burqa economic problems in East Jerusalem, face losing their Beituniya Beit Ur Al Amari RC Foqa MIGRON rights if caught. Couples where only one has a blue ID BET HORON OFER MA'ALE Rafat Kafr KOCHAV MIKHMAS card must be separated, or both live in the West Bank Tira Aqab YA'ACOV Mikhmas GIV'AT Ql.R.C. ZE'EV Qalandia RAMA SHA'AR and lose all Jerusalemite status. BINYAMIN Jaba Beit GIV'ON Judeira ATAROT Duqqu HDSHA. Ram Beit Al Inan Beit Bir Jib Jib GEVA Ijza West Nabala Abu Qubeiba BINYAMIN Lahm N.YA'ACOV Biddu Nabi Beit Qatanna Samwil Hanina Hizma Discriminatory policies BH ALON Balad HARADAR ALMON Beit Beit P.ZE'EV KFAR Surik Iksa RAMOT Shuafat ADUMIM fter 1967, in contravention of international law, ANATOT R.SHLOMO R.C. Anata the Israeli government created the Jerusalem FR.HILL R.ESHKOL MISHOR E 1 ADUMIM Sh. 'Isawiya Municipality — a greatly enlarged Jerusalem Jarrah Plan Wadi Joz Za'im A A l Q u d s to include all the illegal settlement colonies in and Tur OLD CITY MA'ALE around the city, and land confiscated from the districts Azarya ADUMIM Silwan W e s t Ras al Amud E a s t Thuri Abu of Bethlehem and Ramallah. Building permits for ( J e r u s a l e m ) Dis QEDAR J.Mukabir Sawahra Ar.Jahalin NOF East Beit ZION West Palestinians on their own land are all but unobtainable Safafa EAST TALPIOT Sharafat and Palestinian homes built in the area without permits Um Leisun G.HAMATOS Sh. Sur Sa'ad GILO Baher Walaja HAR are routinely demolished. The Palestinian Jerusalemites HOMA Wadi Hummus Battir HAR Ubaydiya are subject to high taxation while expenditure on GILO An Numan Al Husan Beit Khas Jala Kh.Juhzum the services and amenities given to them is kept to Wadi Bethlehem Fukin Um Beit Qassis Khadr Sahur a minimum. People have to choose between this or Dheisha Al Hindaza Um RC BETAR Ras Shawawra Nahhalin NEVE Rukba Irtas al Wad DANIYEL exile abroad or in what remains of the West Bank. If GEVA'OT Rafidia Beit Za'atara property is left empty (usually because Palestinians Bad Ta'amir ROSH EFRATA Faluh TZURIM ELAZAR W.Rahhal Abu BAT Kht. Nujeim are not allowed to reach it) it is seized by the Israeli Sakarya AYIN ALLON Harmala SHVUT W. an Nis KFAR Jurat ELDAD government. ash Shama KFAR TEKOA ETZION MIGDAL Tuqu' OZ Um NOKDIM Safa Salamuna 10 km Beit Beit Fajjar Ummar Copyright © 2007, NAD-NSU Land confiscation and illegal 1967 Boundary Israeli settlement Israeli military base Israeli-controlled tunnel or (“Green Line”) built-up area underpass for Palestinians Israeli settlement area The Wall Local Palestinian road Palestinian city, town, under construction - constructed or under construction village or neighborhood - approved or planned settlements Planned settlement Israeli-proposed “alternative” expansion area Palestinian road link Projected area of future Israeli settler / bypass road Palestinian control Area of Israeli owhere in occupied Palestine has settlement - existing Israeli checkpoint control - planned or under construction building been more evident than in the Jerusalem Narea. There are currently 211,000 illegal Israeli occupied 78% of what had been Palestine, including settlers living in and around Jerusalem on land West Jerusalem. The de facto borders they established confiscated from Palestinians. (the ‘Green Line’) lay just to the west of the Old City. After the 1948 war and the Nakba, 38 Palestinian In 1967 the Israeli army occupied the rest of Palestine villages in the Jerusalem district were destroyed and — East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank — depopulated. Thousands of Palestinians were ethnically including the Old City, populated largely by Palestinian cleansed from numerous neighbourhoods in West Christians and Muslims. Israel then started to implement Jerusalem. These included Baq’a and Talbiya, al- plans for the judaisation of the city, as well as the Maliha, Lifta, Deir Yasin, Ein Karem. The Palestinian colonisation of other areas of the West Bank and Gaza. people were replaced by new Israeli settlers. Palestinians have now been reduced to 30% of the Following the 1967 war, West Jerusalem expanded population of East Jerusalem through methods of land even further. Israel proceeded with the construction of confiscation and discriminatory laws. huge blocks of settlements that form a ring around the city and isolate it from its Arab neighbourhoods, and from the Palestinian cities of Ramallah and Bethlehem. Apartheid residency laws These continue to be built on land confiscated from he ‘transfer’ of the Palestinians from Jerusalem Palestinians around Jerusalem and also from the districts started with the creation of Israel in 1948 when of Ramallah and Bethlehem. They are Maale Adumim to T80,000 Palestinians were expelled by force from West Jerusalem. During the 1967 war, 125 houses of the Maghariba Quarter in the Old City were demolished and The depopulation of al Ezariya their residents were expelled to make way for the plaza of the Western Wall. The population of al Ezariya, just to the east of the Old City, also depends on Jerusalem for The identity and residency laws are continuously being employment, education and other services. During tightened in order to reduce the number of Palestinians the past few months, 80% of the population of living in Jerusalem. Palestinian Jerusalemites are al Ezariya have deserted their homes in order to obliged to carry annually renewed blue Israeli ID cards, remain in Jerusalem. Out of 5,000 people, only which give them ‘the right’ to live in East Jerusalem, but around 1,000 remain in the village. not to vote in Israeli national elections or take an Israeli including Connex is also underway. It will serve settler Case Study: traffic around Jerusalem, integrating the settlements into the city and connecting them to those in the Al-Ram in Jerusalem Jordan Valley. In this way European money and know- how condone and support the illegal occupation and The devastating impact of the Wall in Jerusalem colonisation of Palestine. has already crippled families and communities. In Al-Ram the Wall runs through the main road of the town. Checkpoints: access denied l 40% of businesses have closed he long-standing checkpoints controlling all l Small factories which provide vital employment movement in and out of the city have been ‘up- have shut down Tgraded’ to what the Israelis call “international l 10.000 people have already deserted the area terminals”, causing even more harassment to Palestinian l Over 20% of the houses are now empty.