The occupation municipality in Jerusalem announced, this evening, Sunday, its approval of the settlement plan called “Silicon Valley,” which aims to destroy the industrial zone in the Wadi al-Jouz neighborhood in Jerusalem, as well as the approval of the establishment of a garbage dump in northeastern occupied Jerusalem.

The first settlement project, called "Silicon Valley," extends along Wadi al-Jouz Road and Othman bin Affan Street, and buildings ranging from 8 to 14 floors will be built on the ruins of commercial and industrial shops in the Jerusalem Industrial Zone in Wadi al-Jouz.

The plan is located west of Wadi Al-Jouz Road, east and south of Dhu Al-Nourin Street, and north of Othman bin Affan Street.

Lawyer Muhannad Jabara, who submitted the petition against the project on behalf of the affected Jerusalemite citizens, said that the “Silicon Valley” plan is a disastrous plan for Jerusalemites, and it infringes upon the owners of businesses in the industrial zone and their property rights by seizing their shops, despite their need for housing and an industrial zone, and not for a settlement project that aims to remove an entire industrial zone for Jerusalemites. It was originally built before the occupation.

He said that the occupation municipality in Jerusalem is talking about a new neighborhood in the city, forgetting the presence of an Arab Jerusalemite neighborhood in the place, and that the classification of this plan for “high-tech” buildings limits residential projects in the Palestinian land, as Jerusalemites are allowed to build on only 10% of the area of their land in Jerusalem.

The occupation municipality in Jerusalem also approved the establishment of a garbage dump on an area of 109 dunams in a valley near Al-Issawiya, Anata, and Ras Shehadeh, east of occupied Jerusalem, where tens of thousands of Jerusalemites reside.

The plan began in 2012, when the municipality intended to establish the landfill on an area of 520 dunums in the same place, but the people of Jerusalem struggled legally for a full decade against the establishment of this landfill.

The landfill will have an area of 350,000 cubic metres, and will cause environmental damage to the private lands of Jerusalemites, after the occupation demolished 70 residential and commercial facilities to implement this plan.