Israeli plan for East Jerusalem receives Arab reception

A half-billion-dollar Israeli project to expand the Arab-populated areas of East Jerusalem and lift people out of poverty receives a warm welcome from those who are supposed to benefit from it .

Israel hopes the program will improve living conditions in poor Arab neighborhoods and allow residents to access the solid Israeli economy. But the city's Arab community views the project with deep skepticism and mistrust, fearing that this is a way to consolidate Israel's control over the eastern sector.

"All of these projects have nothing to do with improving our lives," said Ziad Hammoury, head of the Jerusalem Center for Social and Economic Rights, an advocacy group. "It's more and more controlling in East Jerusalem."

The Leading Change Program, launched in May, aims to reduce huge social gaps between the Arab neighborhoods and the western part of the city, which is mbadively Jewish. After years of similar neglect, Arab neighborhoods suffer from poor infrastructure and poor public services, and nearly 80 percent of Palestinian families in the city live in poverty.

The program will invest 2 billion NIS, or 560 million dollars, in education, infrastructure and badistance to Arab women in the world of work. The money will be spent for various programs, including nine pilot projects, over five years with the aim of attracting other government and private investments.

The program was instituted by the Israeli government which opposes any division of the city but seems to have concluded that strengthening the Arab areas of Jerusalem is also in the interest of Israel.

"All who truly believe in a unified Jerusalem and aspire to full sovereignty must act with determination to govern on one side and badume responsibility for infrastructure development on the other," Zeev Elkin, Minister of Government for Jerusalem Affairs, said at the launch of the project in May. Elkin's ministry is expected to play a leading role in the implementation of the program, and is running for mayor of Jerusalem in this year's elections.

The program's designers say that they recognize political sensitivities, but argue that the economic benefits will be real. They say that the integration of Palestinians into Israeli society will give more opportunities.

"It is a population like any other, it deserves to receive public services like everyone else," said Shaul Meridor, head of the budget department of the Ministry of Finance. "On the economic front, it is very clear to everyone that if we help this population to be in better shape, they will benefit, just like the others.

Israel captured East Jerusalem during the Six Day War in 1967 and unified the city in a move that was not internationally recognized. Israel considers East Jerusalem as an indivisible part of its capital, citing a connection dating back to the biblical era, while Palestinians seek the region, which is home to the most sensitive holy places in the city, as the capital of the city. 39, a future state.

Since 1967, Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem have been eligible for Israeli citizenship, but most have not sought it, believing that it would mean recognizing Israeli rule.

Instead, they have residency status, which allows them to work and travel freely in Israel. As non-citizens, they do not vote in Israeli elections. Few use their residency rights to vote in municipal elections, a political statement that denies them a way to influence their daily lives.

Palestinians represent 37% of the population of Jerusalem, or 866,000 people. Despite the unification of Jerusalem by Israel, there are marked differences between the Arab and Jewish parts of the city.

One aspect of the new project is to encourage Hebrew learning and promote the adoption of the Israeli curriculum as opposed to the Palestinian program, according to organizers, who aim to open the doors of the Israeli economy. They say the project will also address land use issues, build shopping centers and increase access to public services.

Lior Schillat, the director general of the Jerusalem Institute of Political Research, described the program as "historic," saying it was the first time that a government Israel invested so heavily in the economic development of the region.

In 2014, the government set aside a special budget of 200 million shekels ($ 55 million) for the area, a fraction of the current project.

The city spends 9 to 11 percent of its budget in Palestinian neighborhoods, which is not commensurate with its population, said Meir Margalit, a former Jerusalem city council member. A spokeswoman for the municipality said the city has made "unprecedented" investments in East Jerusalem in recent years.

The organizers say they expect to see a marked change brought by the new program in a few years.

Schillat said that there are indications more Palestinians are turning to Israel for opportunities rather than the West Bank or the wider Middle East. He said that more people are enrolling in Israeli universities and colleges, more are applying for citizenship and half of all occupied Palestinians in East Jerusalem are working in West Jerusalem or in the surrounding Jewish cities. He said that mistrust could be alleviated once the change is seen on the ground.

Mohammad Owaida, a resident of East Jerusalem, adviser to the Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs and participating in the project, said that he was not concerned about the government's intentions as long as the project would bring changes.

"I do not care about the agenda of Elkin, I hope to improve the lives of 400,000 people," he said, adding that he believed that most people agreed with him but were too scared.

Others say it's flawed because its design did not include an important role for the residents of East Jerusalem – few of whom hold government positions – although organizers say they consult frequently residents. The launch of the project, which was held at the residence of the Israeli president, included a number of Israeli dignitaries, but few Palestinian faces.

"It's a beautiful project, but it arrived too late and did not include local representatives," said Ramadan Dabash, one of the few Palestinians to have served on city council from Jerusalem. "Who knows East Jerusalem as those who live here?"

Critics also say that they have seen past Israeli attempts to meet the needs of Palestinians in the city.