by Warren Popp
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
JERUSALEM, Israel – Last week, the Jerusalem Planning and Building Committee approved an initiative by the mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat, to create an Israeli archaeological park in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan. The plan has come under both national and international scrutiny because it calls for the demolition of approximately twenty-two Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem. Another sixty-six buildings constructed in the neighborhood without Israeli permission will be legalized under the plan.
In this and past cases where Palestinian homes have been demolished, Israel has maintained that it is simply enforcing the law by destroying illegally built homes and other buildings. However, many of the buildings have gone up without a permit because it is reportedly very difficult for Palestinians to acquire permits, and very few building permits have ever been issued to Palestinians in East Jerusalem.
When Barkat formally submitted the latest version of the development plan, his spokesman said: “Now, after fine-tuning the plan and seeking more cooperation with the residents as far as their needs and improving the quality of their lives, the municipality is ready to submit the plans for the first stage of approval.” However, Jerusalem city hall had reportedly refused to hold talks with the neighborhood’s Palestinian residents over alternative proposals.
The announcement by the Committee came just a day after Israel announced that it will be loosening restriction of aid into Gaza, likely as part of an effort to repair its international standing after the international criticism in response to the Israeli raid of a boat convoy heading to the Gaza strip on 31 May, which resulted in the deaths of nine activists and the injury of dozens more. The latest announcement by the Committee was criticized by Defense Minister Ehud Barak as “bad timing” and poor “common sense.” It was also criticized by the Israeli President, Shimon Peres.
The same development plan had been considered earlier in the year, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under pressure from both the United States—who was attempting to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks—and from increased international pressure regarding its settlement plans in East Jerusalem in general, persuaded Barkat to put the project on hold in March.
While the plan has been approved by the Committee, Israeli officials are stressing that the final process requires the approval of the Interior Ministry, a process that is likely to take several months, and that the plan could still be blocked by the government.
Barkat has defended the development plan, along with other claims of broader housing discrimination against Arabs—especially Palestinians. The Jerusalem Post quotes his spokesman as stating, “Mayor Barkat is moving forward with a master plan for Jerusalem that calls for an additional 50,000 new housing units over the next 20 years to fit the needs of the growing population. Arab residents are approximately one-third of the population of Jerusalem, and as such, we expect a third of those new housing units to be for Arab residents in their neighborhoods.” The spokesman further stated, “In addition, this week’s Municipal Planning and Construction Committee has 41 items on the agenda for approval, 18 of which are plans by Arab residents of Jerusalem for new apartments and construction in Arab neighborhoods.” The Jerusalem Post also reports that the municipality claims it does not keep records of how many local Arab building permits his office has approved since taking office in December 2008.
UN Secretary General, Ban-Ki Moon, publicly stated that the housing development plan is illegal under international law, and the European Union also recently stated its belief that the development plan is illegal. Richard Falk, the Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights on Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 (working in an unpaid and independent capacity), believes, “These actions, if carried out, would violate international law, with certain actions potentially amounting to war crimes under international humanitarian law.”
The United States State Department of State criticized the development plan, stating that it undermined trust between parties, and also increased the risk of violence. With Israeli police and Palestinian youth clashing last Sunday in response to the development plan, it appears that the US concerns were not unfounded. The rising tensions between the parties since the Committee’s announcement resulted in the Palestinian youth throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails at police in the same neighborhood where the homes would be demolished, causing minor injuries to six police officers who were hit with stones.
The recent arrest by Israeli police of a Hamas member of parliament for refusing orders that expelled him from Jerusalem also threatens to further escalate tensions in East Jerusalem. Richard Falk cited the four men’s case as part of “a larger, extremely worrying pattern of Israeli efforts to drive Palestinians out of East Jerusalem – [which is] illegal under international law”.
For more information, please see:
Jerusalem Post – An Open City? – 2 July, 2010
Al Jazeera – Israel Arrests Hamas MP – 30 June 2010
Voice of America News – EU Says Israel East Jerusalem Housing Plan Illegal – 30 June 2010
UN News Centre – Demolitions, New Settlements in East Jerusalem Could Amount to War Crimes – UN Expert – 29 June 2010
N.Y. Times – Palestinians and Police Collide in East Jerusalem – 27 June 2010
Haaretz – Reining in Barkat – 25 June, 2010
BBC – UN Chief Says East Jerusalem Demolition Plan ‘illegal’ – 24 June 2010
Sydney Morning Herald – Jerusalem Housing Plans Jeopardise Peace Talks – 24 June 2010
Al Arabiya News Channel – Israel Revives East Jerusalem Housing Plan – 21 June 2010
