Controversial Jewish building in East Jerusalem gets green light
Municipality approves three-story structure in flashpoint neighborhood of Silwan, despite heavy opposition
Dov Lieber is a former Times of Israel Arab affairs correspondent.
The Jerusalem municipality on Wednesday approved the construction of a three-story residential building for Jews in the flashpoint East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan, following attempts by government officials to stymie the project over fears of angry reactions.
The city’s Planning and Building Committee made the decision following a two-week delay on the ruling, due to a heated debate on the issue between councilors.
The plot, which the state sold to settlers in 2005 via the Justice Ministry’s custodian general, is located in the Batan Al-Hawa area of Silwan opposite the seven-story Beit Yonatan. Beit Yonatan was built without permits in 2002, and 11 Jewish families moved in two years later.
Despite orders by the courts and by then-attorney general Yehuda Weinstein to evacuate and seal the building, 10 families still live there, according to the Haaretz newspaper. Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat has supported the Jewish residents’ right to inhabit the building.
Eldad Rabinowicz, the lawyer who submitted the planning request on behalf of a company named Maliach 73, on Wednesday praised the decision, Haaretz reported.
“We are pleased that the municipality granted permission for a building permit on Jewish lands in Silwan. This is an action of historical justice for the settling of the land that began since the first [Jewish] immigration to Israel,” he said.
In a statement, the municipality vowed to “continue to build in all neighborhoods” of the city.
The approval for the building comes during the month-long Muslim festival of Ramadan, and appears to go against efforts to calm tensions that have fueled months of Palestinian attacks, many of them in Jerusalem. Critics claim the land was sold at an artificially low price, and without a proper tender process, to the Ateret Cohanim organization.
Organizations such as Ateret Cohanim are dedicated to solidifying a Jewish presence in predominantly Arab East Jerusalem, in particular in neighborhoods such as Silwan.
The anti-settlement Peace Now organization said in an earlier statement that the land in the area was sold to Ateret Cohanim by the custodian general without any tender, together with three additional parcels in the neighborhood. The pretext for selling the land was the fact that the group already owned two other parcels in Batan Al-Hawa that the custodian general released to it in September 2002.
“While Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu and Defense Minister Liberman just backed the two-state solution, on the ground, they are supporting actions that are making a future compromise much more difficult,” the statement said. “By approving the construction on the eve of Ramadan, Netanyahu and Liberman risk igniting the region and compromising Israelis’ security for the benefit of extreme settlers.”
Silwan has seen rising tensions in recent years as dozens of Jews have moved into homes in the mostly Arab neighborhood.
Before the Arab riots of 1938, Silwan — then known as Harat al-Yaman — was mainly Jewish. The riots forced the Jews to leave.
Times of Israel staff and agencies contributed to this report.
