To return to the new Peace Now website click here.

Bustan - Behind the Headlines

My brilliant colleague in Jerusalem Hagit Ofran has posted an excellent summary of the Bustan story (including maps) on her blog, Eyes on the Ground in East Jerusalem. 

As most people know by now, Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat has agreed to delay his plans to demolish tens of Palestinian homes in Silwan (and at the same time legalize a illegally-built settler high-rise apartment building in the area), following a carefully-worded intervention by Prime Minister Netanyahu (who pointedly did not say he disapproved of the mayor's plan, but rather urged the Mayor to try harder to convince the Palestinians to voluntarily agree to have their homes demolished and to be re-located to some site where the mayor thinks thinks their presence is more welcome/appropriate).  The US is reportedly pleased with the Prime Minister's action and the outcome.

This delay notwithstanding, the Mayor went ahead and posted details of his plan on the website of the Jerusalem Municipality -- along with a shiny powerpoint presentation (dated March 2, 2010) replete with media-friendly talking points that make it clear that the Mayor's intentions here are only good: preserving/restoring Jerusalem, repairing the environment, and building a new community in the area that will thrive on tourism.  It reflects a "sense of commitment to the past and consideration for the present" and as such, "the municipality is working on the development of the King's Garden neighborhood, restoration of its groves, in addition to providing an appropriate and fitting solution for the neighborhood residents." (emphasis added). 

What would such a solution look like?  According to the presentation it means "currently existing buildings west of the Kidran [i.e., the Bustan neighborhood] will be diverted to other areas."  Sure sounds like forced displacement...

But no worries -- the municipality it taking the concerns of these residents into account: "The process requires determination on the part of government factors and cooperation on the part of the local residents and their representatives. Whenever the residents cooperate, the municipality will be flexible, but when they attempt to undermine the plan, the municipality will remain firm in its implementation..." (emphasis added).  Now you gotta love the sound of that -- if the residents agree to the plan, then it will be implemented with their cooperation.  If they don't agree, it will be implemented anyway. 

Sounds a lot like how the settlers do business -- listen to Aryeh King (one of the leaders of the settler effort to gain control of property in East Jerusalem), at 06:30 in this video, talking about Palestinians who refuse his offer to buy their homes, with the threat that if they don't sell, they will be evicted anyway, based on settler claims that the property was once owned by Jews or by some other means: 

"Now they [the Palestinians whose property the settlers want] are already going to sleep in the night thinking maybe next week something will happen [i.e., they will be evicted], instead of thinking about it already 5 years ago and to sit with me and to come to some agreement.  Again, an agreement that they will be out [i.e., they will lose their house], but at least the timing will be according to their timing..."