A lecture entitled “The History of Jerusalem” in the Zionist Era, part 4

(Lecture video below the article)

Stages of settlement establishment:

• First Stage: It began in 1968, where it confiscated 3830 dunums of East Jerusalem land in Shuafat, Mount Scopus, Isawiya and Lifta. and established colonies, The aim was to separate Arab neighborhoods from Arab Jerusalem both humanly and geographically.

• Second Stage: In 1970, Israel confiscated 12,280 dunums of land from Hizma, Beit Hanina, Lifta, Beit Iksa, Surbaher, Sharafat, Malha, Beit Jala and Qalandia, thus expropriating 30% of East Jerusalem.

• Third Stage: In 1978, it put a fence around 4,500 dunums of land in the village of Anata and made it part of the settlement of Ma’ale Adamim. 15,000 dunums of Abu Dis village and 4,400 dunums of land from Beit Hanina and Hizma villages, on which the settlement of Pisgat Ze’ev was built.

• Fourth Stage: In 1993, a number of Soviet Jews arrived in Israel, Many went to Jerusalem settlements. This activity culminated in the establishment of a colony on Jabal Abu Ghneim on the land of Beit Sahour and the village of um Tuba.

Demographic, social and economic implications of settlement:

Demographic implications:

Israel’s goal of increasing the number of Jews in Jerusalem is the desired goal, after their presence was non-existent in 1967, by 1997 they became 160,000 thousand, as their number equaled the number of Palestinians in honorary Jerusalem.

The aim was to thwart any attempt to challenge Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem by achieving a Jewish population that outnumbered the Arabs. The increase, as we know, came through the displacement, expulsion and deportation of Palestinians on the one hand, Attracting Jews from different countries of the world and encouraging them to live in Jerusalem and its suburbs.

Social Impacts:

After the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem, Arabs were granted the blue identity, which does not mean in any way Israeli citizenship, but is limited to the right of residence only. This step posed a major problem for Arabs, especially since the Interior Office has the right to withdraw IDs in any circumstances.

If Arabs want to travel abroad, they must issue permits for a period of 3 years if they intend to go through the Jordan Bridge. And for a year if it is through the airport, These measures have also had consequences related to personal status, birth registration, residency and other problems, all of which have caused serious social problems for Palestinians in East Jerusalem.

Economic impacts:

Israeli policy was based on the impoverishment of the Arabs in Jerusalem. By imposing heavy taxes on them, The dispossession of land, especially agriculture, made the Arabs without work, which prompted them to work in menial work and for a small wage, and the lack of licenses for the work of various economic establishments made the Arabs in a state of economic stagnation, because there was no development on their economic tools inside the holy city and its suburbs.

Continue in a lecture entitled “History of Jerusalem” in the Zionist Era, part 4

International, Arab and Palestinian positions on settlements:

• Israel was able to postpone the status of Jerusalem in negotiations with the Palestinian side, and this helped increase settlement activity in Jerusalem.

• At the Islamic level, a committee was formed to follow up the issue of Jerusalem in 1979 under the chairmanship of the King of Morocco. I have decided to send delegations to the world to inform them of the danger to Jerusalem and to inform them of the Palestinian Arab right to Jerusalem.

• As for the old and new American position, it supports Israel in all cases and stands in the way of any international resolutions against it.

• The EU has not agreed to Israel’s annexation of Jerusalem or a change in its status. The European Union has stressed at more than one conference and meeting that the Jewish settlements built on East Jerusalem are illegal.