Displaced in their Own City (abstract)

01/06/2015
Displaced in their Own City: The Impact of Israeli Policy in East Jerusalem on the Palestinian Neighborhoods of the City beyond the Separation Barrier (Abstract)
The neighborhoods of East Jerusalem left outside the Separation Barrier provide an extreme illustration of broader processes in East Jerusalem and Israel’s general attitude toward the Palestinian population of the city. Ir Amim’s report, Displaced in Their Own City: The Impact of Israeli Policy in East Jerusalem on the Palestinian Neighborhoods of the City beyond the Separation Barrier, offers a comprehensive review of the various aspects of Israeli policy in East Jerusalem that have resulted in the current situation. As the report explains, tens of thousands of Palestinian residents of Jerusalem have been disconnected from the city following the establishment of the Separation Barrier. They have also been near completely abandoned by the State and by the Municipality of Jerusalem.

Since 1967, Israeli policy has sought to undermine the connection and affiliation of Palestinian residents to Jerusalem, their home city. Over the years Israel has confiscated large areas of land in order to establish Jewish neighborhoods/settlements and “national parks” while Jewish settlers have established outposts in the hearts of Palestinian neighborhoods. At the same time, Israel has imposed severe restrictions on planning, construction, and land registration by Palestinians. While the residency status granted to Palestinians after 1967 was always an inferior one, following a ruling by the Israeli High Court of Justice it has been defined as an “abstract” status that may “expire automatically.” This ruling has been used as the basis for uprooting thousands of Palestinian residents from the city.

Governmental and national authoriti...read more