Plan under review to build in eastern Jerusalem

August 23, 2009

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- A plan to build new Jewish housing in eastern Jerusalem is being reviewed by the Jerusalem municipality.

The plan for the construction of 104 housing units was reported Sunday by several Israeli news outlets. The plan also includes a swimming pool, library, synagogue, preschools and a mikvah.

The neighborhood, which is being called Ma'aleh David, would be constructed on Jewish-owned land, used until 18 months ago for the Judea and Samaria police headquarters in the Arab neighborhood of Ras al-Amud. It would be connected to the existing Jewish neighborhood of Ma'aleh Zeitim, home to some 50 families. Sixty-six more apartments are also being constructed in the area.

The plans were filed last week with the municipality. If approved, some 1,000 Jews in the two connected neighborhoods would live in middle of some 14,000 Palestinians, according to Ha'aretz.

"A two-state solution requires provisions for Palestinian building in East Jerusalem. The goal of this plan is to establish facts on the ground on a scale that would thwart such a solution," said Yudith Oppenheimer, executive director of the non-governmental group Ir Amim, that monitors Jewish settlement activity in eastern Jerusalem, in an interview with Ha'aretz. "Advancement of this plan will stoke the flames in Jerusalem and is liable to lead to a Hebronization of the city."

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Plan under review to build in eastern Jerusalem

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