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Last update - 12:51 10/05/2009
Israel has secret plan to thwart division of Jerusalem
By Akiva Eldar, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Palestinians, Israel News 

The government and settler organizations are working to surround the Old City of Jerusalem with nine national parks, pathways and sites, drastically altering the status quo in the city. The secret plan was assigned to the Jerusalem Development Authority (JDA).

In a report presented to former prime minister Ehud Olmert on September 11 last year, the JDA described the purpose of the project as "to create a sequence of parks surrounding the Old City," all in the aspiration "to strengthen Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel."

The program, sponsored by the Prime Minister's Office and the mayor of Jerusalem, is secret and did not engage in any form of public discussion.
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According to an analysis by Ir Amim, a non-profit organization dedicated to Jerusalem issues that impact on Israeli and Palestinians which exposed this detailed, confidential government plan, the motivation is to create Israeli hegemony over the area around the Old City, "inspired by extreme right-wing ideology."

"This program integrates with statutory program 11555, approved by the Jerusalem municipality in November 2007, designed to accelerate development [to six housing units per dunam, or some 24 units per acre] in one of the most important archaeological sites in Israel. The array of escalators, cable cars and tunnels included in the plan portend blatant signs of a biblical playground populated by settler organizations," which the organization says will be carried out by ousting Palestinian residents.

Ir Amim charges that by exposing the existence of the program the public is granted, "for the first time, a comprehensive view of how the government and settlers, working as one body, are creating a "biblical" territorial reign which connects Armon Hanatziv and Silwan in the south, Ras al-Amud and the Mount of Olives in the east, and Sheikh Jarra in the north, by connecting all of the land east of E-1."

In a letter sent in the fall of 2006 by David Barry, founder and director of the Elad organization, to state officials and bodies involved in the project such as the Israel Nature and National Parks Authority and the Israel Antiquities Authority, he explains that he cannot detail the project because "we still cannot talk about them," but hopes that the results will be evident in the near future.

In the letter Barry also writes that "... the widespread tourist activity, at whose center is the creation of the "Ancient Jerusalem" campus connecting the three sites - the City of David, Mount of Olives and Armon Hanatziv - in each of the three sites we are holding tourist activity on a daily basis."

The map of Elad's "Ancient Jerusalem" is, as Ir Amim explains, very similar to the map of the current historic basin project of the Old City.

Attorney Danny Seidemann of Ir Amim says that if the historic basin surrounding the Old City is transformed in the spirit of extreme rightist organizations, "there is a dangerous interface between the program and settler projects whose goal is the prevention of a future political solution in the heart of the conflict."

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      1.   Jerusalem Israel`s Eternal Capital 07:18  |  Khaled 10/05/09
      2.   Good 07:25  |  michael 10/05/09
      3.   Heart of the Conflict is not Jerusalem 07:39  |  Steve 10/05/09
      4.   good 07:56  |  Freddy 10/05/09
      5.   Secret? 08:02  |  Jean-f. in Quebec 10/05/09
      6.   Conspiracy Theory 08:51  |  Just 10/05/09
      7.   Jerusalem Is Israel`s Eternal Capital 09:01  |  Yishai Kohen 10/05/09
      8.   Fiddling while Rome burns 09:34  |  sh 10/05/09
      9.   Spooky... depressing... will ruin character of Jerusalem... 09:36  |  Esther 10/05/09
      10.   Just 09:36  |  sh 10/05/09
      11.   disappointing 09:43  |  ron 10/05/09
      12.   Whats the problem? 09:52  |  Ken 10/05/09
      13.   strengthen Jerusalem 10:09  |  rm 10/05/09
      14.   More Parks are bad? 10:29  |  Baruch Gold 10/05/09
      15.   Two State Solution 10:30  |  Bandar Michaels 10/05/09
      16.   "What`s the problem" 11:54  |  Victor 10/05/09
      17.   No Secret 12:06  |  Choni Davidowitz 10/05/09
      18.   Planning commission 12:32  |  Olmstead 10/05/09
      19.   Jerusalem 12:34  |  david 10/05/09
      20.   Good idea 13:03  |  Avraham 10/05/09
      21.   Alquds - Will be the capital of Palestine 13:25  |  Sami 10/05/09
      22.   You want secrets? Where does Ir Amim get its funds? 13:30  |  Nemesis 10/05/09
      23.   "Secret plan?" LOL .. Israel has always said it openly..--- 13:58  |  kobi 10/05/09
      24.   Bandar you are the only one making sense 14:04  |  Hisham Kalam 10/05/09
      25.   I`m all in favour of parks. 14:07  |  David Plane 10/05/09
      26.   G-D forbid... 14:12  |  Ari 10/05/09
      27.   Bandar you are the only one making sense 14:14  |  Hisham Kalam 10/05/09
      28.   Very good news indeed 14:32  |  Johnny 10/05/09
      29.   Jerusalem 14:35  |  ChanahS 10/05/09
      30.   This won`t sit well with Obama 14:36  |  Gully Foyle 10/05/09
      31.   Give these national parks to the JNF 14:39  |  zionist forever 10/05/09
      32.   Secret plan,,,,? 14:49  |  Michael J 10/05/09
      33.   Jerusalem for both 14:56  |  WHG 10/05/09
      34.   Bandar Michaels # 11 What`s The Matter With Ramallah? 14:58  |  Jeff Northridge 10/05/09
      35.   Banda Michaels 15:02  |  Pamela 10/05/09
      36.   I hope that this is true 15:04  |  Zev 10/05/09
      37.   ChanahS 15:05  |  Hisham 10/05/09
      38.   Terrific 15:17  |  Stuart 10/05/09
      39.   Jerusalem should stay in Israel 15:18  |  Lynn 10/05/09
      40.   Israel lining itself up to be a pariah state. 15:36  |  Chris Linthwaite 10/05/09
      41.   Here`s The Secret Plan 15:41  |  UsedToPostHere 10/05/09
      42.   11 15:43  |  zionist forever 10/05/09
      43.   "Extreme right wing ideology"--HA!! 15:59  |  Mark 10/05/09
      44.   plans, shmans, what difference does it make? 16:08  |  newageblues 10/05/09
      45.   Chris Linthwaite ideological stubborness matches that of N. Korea 16:09  |  Eve 10/05/09
      46.   Chris Linthwaite -you misunderstand 16:10  |  pt 10/05/09
      47.   Jerusalem Parks 16:12  |  PCR 10/05/09
      48.   A SECRET THAT ISN`T A SECRET AT ALL 16:13  |  indrajaya 10/05/09
      49.   What a surprise 16:22  |  jackie 10/05/09
      50.   What has Jerusalem to do with Islam? 16:27  |  Yehudit 10/05/09
      51.   #11- in what way is Jersualem connected to Islam? 16:30  |  redbourn 10/05/09
      52.   Sh 16:34  |  GABE1 10/05/09
      53.   # 11 Put it beautifully in simple language 16:35  |  julie 10/05/09
      54.   Linthwaite 22 16:40  |  ChanahS 10/05/09
      55.   newagebluz 16:48  |  Avraham 10/05/09
      56.   slamming Israel is Linthwaite`s hobby 17:03  |  x-ray 10/05/09
      57.   Jerusalem 17:03  |  Naim S. Mahlab 10/05/09
      58.   good 17:12  |  jay 10/05/09
      59.   #34 ChanahS 17:13  |  Chris Linthwaite 10/05/09
      60.   They had Jerusalem and they neglected it, harassed it, bashed it 17:16  |  x-ray 10/05/09
      61.   The Obstacle to Peace - read the comments 17:16  |  Hank N Tennessee 10/05/09
      62.   I agree with #25 17:29  |  Canadian 10/05/09
      63.   DENIAL OF JEWISH NATIONALITY (#11) 17:33  |  Steve 10/05/09
      64.   Israel lost Jerusalem on June 7, 1967 18:04  |  Yonatan 10/05/09
      65.   WHG 28 18:18  |  ChanahS 10/05/09
      66.   #50, Abraham, that`s not peace, that`s surrender 18:21  |  newageblues 10/05/09
      67.   Hisham 32 18:21  |  ChanahS 10/05/09
      68.   A work in progress for 40 years is a `secret?" 18:57  |  Mark Lincoln 10/05/09
      69.   Jerusalem 18:59  |  David Simonim 10/05/09
      70.   They might put in sidewalks too !!!!!!!!!!!! 19:01  |  Herbert Kaine 10/05/09
      71.   As long as no pre 1967 land included, then fine. 19:04  |  Stephen L 10/05/09
      72.   Gully Foyle # 25 A Quote From Obama 19:19  |  Jeff Northridge 10/05/09
      73.   Israel forcing the one state solution 19:20  |  Yitzhak 10/05/09
      74.   Choni #17 19:34  |  Axelrod 10/05/09
      75.   a modest proposal pertinent to planned parks 19:49  |  herb bassem 10/05/09
      76.   26-G-D will allow and encourage tollerence 19:50  |  Hisham 10/05/09
      77.   To redbourn 20:00  |  Serenity 10/05/09
      78.   PEACE....AlQuds. 20:14  |  Ahmad 10/05/09
      79.   Yitzhak 20:16  |  Sylvie 10/05/09
      80.   Yehudit # 48 The Islamic Connection To Jerusalem 20:24  |  Jeff Northridge 10/05/09
      81.   Linthwaite 59 20:27  |  ChanahS 10/05/09
      82.   Jerusalem will never be divided again 20:29  |  Ruth Broch 10/05/09
      83.   Hisham # 37 - by the way (an addendum) 20:30  |  ChanahS 10/05/09
      84.   The intelegince of the evil is not a paria to the good 20:33  |  JP 10/05/09
      85.   Stephen L 71 20:33  |  ChanahS 10/05/09
      86.   That´s the way Israel, Jerusalem for jews 20:33  |  JP 10/05/09
      87.   Hisham 75 20:36  |  ChanahS 10/05/09
      88.   Baruch #14... "more parks are bad...?" 20:41  |  Esther 10/05/09
      89.   danny seidemann 21:01  |  morris 10/05/09
      90.   ChanahS #29... your description inaccurate... 21:06  |  Esther 10/05/09
      91.   #72 Jeff Northridge 21:08  |  Chris Linthwaite 10/05/09
      92.   73 - Yitzhak 21:08  |  Hisham 10/05/09
      93.   Of course shouldn´t have a divison, J´lem is 100% jewish. 21:09  |  JP 10/05/09
      94.   Of course this plan must be in action, J´lem is 100% jewish. 21:10  |  JP 10/05/09
      95.   19 years 21:13  |  Kate Raphael 10/05/09
      96.   No one wants to resurrect the Berlin Wall 21:29  |  Petra Meyer 10/05/09
      97.   Lynn 39 who said so? 21:34  |  ehud 10/05/09
      98.   #83 Petra Meyer 21:37  |  Chris Linthwaite 10/05/09
      99.   A one-state solution worked for South Africa 21:41  |  Petra Meyer 10/05/09
      100.   Response to Newageblues 21:41  |  Harry P 10/05/09
      101.   Headline misleading-Israel has every right to rework Jerusalem & 21:43  |  ks 10/05/09
      102.   Dividing Jerusalem is not the path to peace but to death 21:43  |  Edward 10/05/09
      103.   #72 Jeff Northridge--just how naive are you ? 21:54  |  Labhras 10/05/09
      104.   It doesn`t matter anymore 22:02  |  Stephen Connor 10/05/09
      105.   Yishai Cohen-- 22:06  |  Labhras 10/05/09
      106.   Dear Haaretz, what was wrong with my mockery...... 22:06  |  Swiss (Dino) 10/05/09
      107.   David in Munich 22:12  |  Stephen Connor 10/05/09
      108.   The two state solution is dead 22:13  |  jon 10/05/09
      109.   Serenity 76 22:15  |  ChanahS 10/05/09
      110.   The world must respond 22:16  |  Don 10/05/09
      111.   Ari and the split vatican 22:18  |  Stephen Connor 10/05/09
      112.   Building Parks is a conspiracy?! 22:19  |  Gili 10/05/09
      113.   zionist forever - ridiculous argument 22:20  |  Stephen Connor 10/05/09
      114.   Labhras 22:21  |  Yishai Kohen 10/05/09
      115.   zionist forever - ridiculous argument 22:24  |  Stephen Connor 10/05/09
      116.   WHG - Sharing 22:27  |  Stephen Connor 10/05/09
      117.   98 22:31  |  zionist forever 10/05/09
      118.   Pamela - Got the history wrong 22:32  |  Stephen Connor 10/05/09
      119.   To prevent the ethnic cleansing that the Apartheid Arab gov`t 22:45  |  ks 10/05/09
      120.   104 22:48  |  zionist forever 10/05/09
      121.   x-ray - Solomon? 22:48  |  Stephen Connor 10/05/09
      122.   x-ray - Solomon? 22:51  |  Stephen Connor 10/05/09
      123.   Steve and Jewish Nationality 22:55  |  Stephen Connor 10/05/09
      124.   Sami 22:57  |  al Quds 10/05/09
      125.   i hate Assad the father but 02:06  |  MAT the Syrian 11/05/09
      126.   To #72 Jeff Quote from Obama 02:16  |  Gully Foyle 11/05/09
      127.   Re: Extreme Right Wing Ideology 06:29  |  NormanF 11/05/09
      128.   HOW do parks or other zonings make a division PERMANENT? 07:33  |  PETER SM 11/05/09
      129.   No Peace 07:34  |  ID 11/05/09
      130.   News Flash: Jerusalem was our capital 3000 before your hate 07:34  |  Dan 11/05/09
      131.   Great News!-But It Is No Secret 07:41  |  Ben Israel 11/05/09
      132.   M.T.SYRIAN.Saladin was a Kurd,they have plenty of reasons to hate 07:49  |  PETER SM 11/05/09
      133.   #118 - Stephen - History review 08:03  |  David 11/05/09
      134.   Splitting Jerusalem?? 09:15  |  Samuel 11/05/09
      135.   # 125 Ma`at Syrian 09:19  |  The Teacher/Instruct 11/05/09
      136.   Good idea 09:35  |  Adam 11/05/09
      137.   #3 Steve 10:31  |  Non-Arab Saudi 11/05/09
      138.   #50 Yehudit 11:01  |  Non-Arab Saudi 11/05/09
      139.   #129 Dan 11:19  |  Non-Arab Saudi 11/05/09
      140.   #127 Well, THAT`s an easy question to answer, PETER SM 11:37  |  Johnboy 11/05/09
      141.   Back in your dreams 13:22  |  Salahudin 11/05/09
      142.   israeil secret plans to build parks in Juraslem 20:12  |  ali hamasha 11/05/09
      143.   Palestinian demands are bottomless 22:12  |  Kate Raphael 11/05/09
      144.   We need to very clearly reject two state Final Solution. 22:45  |  Chaim 11/05/09
      145.   Hank I agree 23:15  |  jennifer 11/05/09
      146.   #67 ChanahS 23:19  |  jennifer 11/05/09
      147.   David Simonim 23:20  |  Joan 11/05/09
      148.   Hisham 23:25  |  jennifer 11/05/09
      149.   The division of Jerusalem 03:27  |  WHG 12/05/09
      150.   132 Israel refuses to honor the agreement it signed 03:28  |  lydia 12/05/09
      151.   103"Or you could go suck up to India or China. Noway 03:52  |  lydia 12/05/09
      152.   jerusalem 14:35  |  Rotuk Petar 13/05/09
      153.   " It`s going to happen" 19:27  |  Slim American 13/05/09
      154.   Capital of Israel 16:14  |  Yakov 15/05/09
      155.   Surrounding Jerusalem with park 23:11  |  Shula Gross 18/05/09
      156.   I wont call it a secret anymore :-) 13:10  |  Yaakov 19/05/09
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