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In 1967 Israel annexed an area of 70 sq. kms., which it called "East" Jerusalem, to the 38
sq. kms. that had comprised Israeli "West" Jerusalem since 1948, even though the
Palestinian side of the city under Jordan was just 6 sq. kms. It gerrymandered the
municipal border according to two principles: incorporating as much unbuilt-upon
Palestinian land as possible for future Israeli settlements (the "inner ring" of settlements
depicted in blue), while excluding as much of the Palestinian population as possible so as
to maintain a 72% Jewish majority in the city. As the concentrations of Palestinian
population show (in brown), the municipal border cut in half a living urban fabric of
communities, families, businesses, schools, housing and roads. Its placement of
settlements prevents the urban development of Palestinian Jerusalem - the economic and
cultural as well as religious center of Palestinian life - transforming its residential and
commercial areas into disconnected enclaves. There are today more Israelis living in
"East2 Jerusalem (more than 200,000) than Palestinians. Since Palestinians cannot live in
"West" Jerusalem, Israeli restrictions on building (combined with an aggressive
campaign of house demolitions) have confined that population to a mere 6% of the urban
land - although they are a third of the Jerusalem population. Discriminatory
administrative and housing measures have led to the "Quiet Transfer" of thousands of
Palestinian families out of the city, and to the loss of their Jerusalem residency.
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Webmaster: 
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Datum: 23.07.06
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