JERUSALEM AND RAMALLAH HEADS OF MISSION

REPORT ON EAST JERUSALEM

 SUMMARY

 
1.         East Jerusalem is of central importance to the Palestinians in political, economic, social and religious terms.  Several inter-linked Israeli policies are reducing the possibility of reaching a final status agreement on Jerusalem, and demonstrate a clear Israeli intention to turn the annexation of East Jerusalem into a concrete fact

• the near-completion of the barrier around east Jerusalem, far from the Green Line;
• the construction and expansion of illegal settlements, by private entities and the Israeli government, in and around East Jerusalem;
• the demolition of Palestinian homes built without permits (which are all but unobtainable);
• stricter enforcement of rules separating Palestinians resident in East Jerusalem from those resident in the West Bank, including a reduction of working permits;
• and discriminatory taxation, expenditure and building permit policy by the Jerusalem municipality.

2.         The plan to expand the settlement of Ma’aleh Adumim into the so-called “E1” area, east of Jerusalem, threatens to complete the encircling of the city by Jewish settlements, dividing the West Bank into two separate geographical areas.  The proposed extension of the barrier from East Jerusalem to form a bubble around the settlement of Ma’aleh Adumim would have the same effect.  2004 saw a near tripling of the number of Palestinian buildings demolished in East Jerusalem.  We expect a similar number of demolitions in 2005.  88 homes in the Silwan neighbourhood with demolition orders outstanding against them attracted much attention in June.

3.         When the barrier has been completed, Israel will control access to and from East Jerusalem, cutting off its Palestinian satellite cities of Bethlehem and Ramallah, and the rest of the West Bank beyond.  This will have serious economic, social and humanitarian consequences for the Palestinians.  By vigorously applying policies on residency and ID status, Israel will be able finally to complete the isolation of East Jerusalem – the political, social, commercial and infrastructural centre of Palestinian life.

4.         Israel’s activities in Jerusalem are in violation of both its Roadmap obligations and international law.  We and others in the international community have made our concerns clear on numerous occasions, to varying effect.

Palestinians are, without exception, deeply alarmed about East Jerusalem.  They fear that Israel will “get away with it”, under the cover of disengagement.  Israeli actions also risk radicalising the hitherto relatively quiescent Palestinian population in East Jerusalem.  Clear statements by the European Union and the Quartet that Jerusalem remains an issue for negotiation by the two sides, and that Israel should desist from all measures designed to pre-empt such negotiations, would be timely.  We should also support Palestinian cultural, political and economic activities in East Jerusalem.