Israel makes first moves in east Jerusalem in aftermath of Biden win
Of particular concern, however, is the Givat Hamatos project, which Netanyahu promised to advance in February while on the election campaign trail.
By TOVAH LAZAROFF‘SO, WHY are east Jerusalem Palestinians determined to remain in the city?’(photo credit: REUTERS)
The Antiquities Authority is surveying the site of the new east Jerusalem Jewish neighborhood at Givat Hamatos in advance of construction there, according to Aviv Tatarsky of the Left-wing NGO, Ir Amim.In addition, he said on Thursday, building permits have been issued for 115 housing units in the Jerusalem Jewish neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo, in a section located beyond the pre-1967 line.Both moves have come in the aftermath of US President-elect Joe Biden’s victory that Israel anticipates will herald a significant policy change with respect to Jewish building both in east Jerusalem and in the West Bank.Ir Amim and the Left-wing NGO Peace Now on Thursday expressed concern about pending Israeli moves to develop areas of east Jerusalem in the last weeks of the administration of President Donald Trump.Peace Now noted, in particular, that Ramat Shlomo was particularly sensitive historically for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Biden. It recalled that in 2010 plans were deposited for 1,600 new homes in Ramat Shlomo during a visit by Biden, who was then the US vice president.Now, with less than a week since Biden’s electoral victory, Israel has worked to shore up the same neighborhood.“After straining relations with Biden and the US in 2010 over the approval of settlement units in Ramat Shlomo, one would think that Prime Minister Netanyahu would at least try not to remind the incoming Biden administration of that time. Approving units in the exact same location just as Biden is about to enter office is both counter to Israel’s interests and recklessly provocative toward Biden personally,” Peace Now said.Of particular concern, however, is the Givat Hamatos project, which Netanyahu promised to advance in February while on the election campaign trail.But also a tender that was issued for 1,100 units was never published and the date has consistently been pushed back. The latest anticipated date had been November 2 and no new date was set.But Tatarsky said the presence of the Antiquities Authority at the site was “a worrying sign,” that movement on the project would occur soon.
Palestinians and Left-wing Israelis have argued that the project helps cut off Palestinian living in east Jerusalem from nearby Bethlehem, thereby harming the contiguity of a future Palestinian state.It was an argument that had less impact under the Trump administration. While the Trump administration did not recognize Israeli sovereignty over east Jerusalem, it held that the majority of east Jerusalem should remain under Israeli sovereignty in any final resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.Biden, in contrast, holds that east Jerusalem, including Givat Hamatos should be part of a future Palestinian state.The Trump administration took a number of significant steps to shore up Israel’s hold on Jerusalem. It recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and relocated its embassy there from Tel Aviv.But according to Peace Now data, tenders for Jewish construction in east Jerusalem were low under Trump until this year. Tenders were issued for 130 units in 2017, 603 in 2018, 805 in 2019 and 1,547 in 2020. The 2020 data includes the Givat Hamatos project.The numbers were higher under the Obama administration, when looking at years 2012-2014. Some 2,554 tenders were issued in 2012, 2,015 tenders in 2013 and 2,240 in 2014.
