Following the conclusion of the fourth Israeli election in two years in March 2021, a government was formed through merging parties from across the political spectrum with – for the first time – an Arab party, Ra’am: The United Arab List. Standing at the head of this government, though, are politicians from the far-right wing of the political map, who also head multiple ministerial positions relevant to policymaking in Jerusalem: namely the Interior, Justice, Housing, and Jerusalem and Heritage Ministries. This new “change” government has enjoyed an ongoing period of immunity of sorts by the international community, yet it has grown apparent that the government is advancing a right-wing agenda - sometimes even more drastic than that of its predecessors. Under this government, construction plans are being advanced in the settlements of Jerusalem and its environs on a sweeping scale, including the Atarot plan – a project of this government’s own creation – for 9,000 housing units, and plans in E1 on a scale of 3,400 housing units. The advancement of the plan for building in Givat HaMatos, taken from Beit Safafa land reserves in what will become the first new settlement in East Jerusalem in over 20 years, was promoted in early 2021 by Netanyahu’s government mere days before the inauguration of Joe Biden.
Through our opposition to building in Givat HaMatos, Ir Amim discovered discrimination in the eligibility criteria for the subsidized housing project that is slated to make up roughly 40% of the apartments in Givat HaMatos. Once revealed that only those with Israeli citizenship could apply, thus excluding the vast majority of East Jerusalem residents, Ir Amim filed a p
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Following the conclusion of the fourth Israeli election in two years in March 2021, a government was formed through merging parties from across the political spectrum with – for the first time – an Arab party, Ra’am: The United Arab List. Standing at the head of this government, though, are politicians from the far-right wing of the political map, who also head multiple ministerial positions relevant to policymaking in Jerusalem: namely the Interior, Justice, Housing, and Jerusalem and Heritage Ministries. This new “change” government has enjoyed an ongoing period of immunity of sorts by the international community, yet it has grown apparent that the government is advancing a right-wing agenda - sometimes even more drastic than that of its predecessors. Under this government, construction plans are being advanced in the settlements of Jerusalem and its environs on a sweeping scale, including the Atarot plan – a project of this government’s own creation – for 9,000 housing units, and plans in E1 on a scale of 3,400 housing units. The advancement of the plan for building in Givat HaMatos, taken from Beit Safafa land reserves in what will become the first new settlement in East Jerusalem in over 20 years, was promoted in early 2021 by Netanyahu’s government mere days before the inauguration of Joe Biden.
Through our opposition to building in Givat HaMatos, Ir Amim discovered discrimination in the eligibility criteria for the subsidized housing project that is slated to make up roughly 40% of the apartments in Givat HaMatos. Once revealed that only those with Israeli citizenship could apply, thus excluding the vast majority of East Jerusalem residents, Ir Amim filed a petition against the construction tender along with residents of East Jerusalem’s southern neighborhoods on the grounds of systemic discrimination of housing rights (Administrative Petition 21-01-27542). In an unexpected move, the State notified the court that it had repealed the discriminatory restriction against residents of East Jerusalem who would now be able to purchase subsidized apartments in Givat HaMatos- should it be constructed- along with anywhere else that these housing projects are located.
In May of 2021, a series of flashpoint events in East Jerusalem contributed to a downward spiral that ultimately developed into an 11-day war with Hamas, alongside unprecedented violent nationalist riots in Jerusalem and mixed Jewish-Arab cities within the Green Line. These events included intense local and globalized protests in Sheikh Jarrah against the eviction of Palestinian families from their homes in the neighborhood; the police cordoning off Damascus Gate Plaza to Palestinians celebrating Ramadan until it was reopened following widespread Palestinian opposition; clashes on the Temple Mount/Haram a-Sharif; and police approval for the annual nationalist Jerusalem Day Flag Parade to pass through the Muslim Quarter in the midst of these tensions. During these times, East Jerusalem protests were deemed violent by Israeli authorities and met with severe police violence, though the vast majority entailed non-violent resistance.
Relevant to the eviction processes being carried out in Sheikh Jarrah, through Ir Amim’s monitoring project of the implementation of Government Decision 3790 (for the Reduction of Socioeconomic Gaps and for Economic Development in East Jerusalem), we revealed that with the aid of the General Custodian, the Ministry of Justice was conducting a land settlement of title procedure in the neighborhood of Umm Haroun in Sheikh Jarrah, beginning the process of registering land under the name of Jews who allegedly owned the land prior to 1948. Ir Amim, Bimkom: Planners for Planning Rights, and the residents of Sheikh Jarrah filed an urgent petition, yet in its decision, the court refused to address the core issue. Ir Amim has since proceeded to take action on the matter along with the residents.
Since then and through the end of the year, further evidence was revealed regarding the General Custodian’s involvement in the land settlement of title process in East Jerusalem, and even in its promotion of construction plans for a new settlement in Jerusalem, Givat HaShaked.
At the end of 2021, the High Court of Justice (HCJ) discussed a petition submitted by Ir Amim and residents of Sheikh Jarrah demanding that the General Custodian be required to formulate orderly procedures for the property it manages in East Jerusalem. In the absence of these procedures, the staff of the General Custodian act – and even currently initiate – many processes with impunity and with no measures of transparency nor accountability, which lead to the dispossession of Palestinians from their homes. Mere days before the hearing, the State submitted a general procedure to the court that makes no reference to the unique reality of land titleship in East Jerusalem. The HCJ did not accept Ir Amim’s claim that the procedure does not meet the requirements put forth in the petition and ruled that it is a matter to be addressed in another petition - if at all. Ir Amim is in the process of considering follow-up legal actions.
In July 2021, Ir Amim was invited to appear before the UN Security Council, where we presented troubling data on four Palestinian communities in East Jerusalem that are at risk of mass displacement through either eviction by state-backed settlers or demolition by the Israeli authorities. The communities are: Batan al-Hawa and al-Bustan in Silwan, and the neighborhoods of Sheikh Jarrah and al-Walajeh.
Sheikh Jarrah and Batan al-Hawa in Silwan face threats of intensive eviction proceedings initiated by settler organizations and under the auspices of, and in cooperation with, Israeli authorities. Al-Bustan in Silwan and al-Walajeh face mass demolition threats by the Israeli authorities, the Jerusalem Municipality, and the National Unit for Enforcing Planning and Construction Laws.
Throughout the year, the alarming upward trend in the number of home demolitions in East Jerusalem has continued, currently standing at 237 demolitions - 134 of which are housing units. This is a record number of home demolitions, second only to 2020. It should be noted that a significant increase in demolitions took place during the second half of 2021 under the new government.
Lastly, we have been closely monitoring and reporting on Temple movements as they have continued to gain strength, even enjoying the support of current members of the coalition. The movements have recently been quite active among the Knesset’s Education and Public Security committees – headed by MK Sharren Haskel (New Hope) and Merav Ben Ari (Yesh Atid) with attempts to enshrine their agenda into school curricula and policy. Even though, in practice, this is not being enforced, Minister of Public Security Omer Bar-Lev (Labor) stated that the police will maintain the status quo and ensure that Jews visit but do not pray on the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif.
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