Khalil Al-Tafakji: Demolishing homes and establishing settlement outposts in Jerusalem are part of a clear strategy to expel Jerusalemites and replace them with Israelis

Dr. Hassan Khater: Demolition and settlement are among the most dangerous plans of the occupation aimed at displacing the people of Jerusalem and controlling the Holy City and its sanctities

Medhat Diba: The policy of closure and intensification of military checkpoints is an unprecedented collective punishment, a war crime, and part of the plan to annex the West Bank

Ismail Muslimani: Israel seeks, through the "E1" project, to expand settlements and cut off geographical continuity between the north and south of the West Bank

Muhammad Alian: The occupation government is exploiting Trump’s presence in power and his support to intensify the demolition of homes as practical measures to implement the “Deal of the Century”

The occupation authorities have recently escalated the policy of demolishing homes in occupied Jerusalem, in addition to establishing settlement outposts within Palestinian neighborhoods, as part of a clear strategy to facilitate the processes of expulsion and replacement, i.e. expelling the Palestinian population and replacing them with Israelis, which means reducing the Palestinian presence in the city and strengthening Israeli control.

Observers, analysts and legal experts warned “I” of the dangers of racist colonial policies against Jerusalem and the people of Jerusalem, trying to sound the alarm, especially regarding the project to establish a new settlement known as “E1”, which includes the construction of 3,500 housing units and 4,000 hotel rooms on 12,000 dunams of land in At-Tur, Anata, Al-Eizariya and Al-Issawiya, noting that this project represents the end of any hope of establishing a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and reinforces the “Greater Jerusalem” plan, whose area is equivalent to 10% of the West Bank.

They pointed out that since the beginning of the Zionist project, dozens of plans have been drawn up to displace the people of Jerusalem and control the Holy City and its sanctities, most notably the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque. Perhaps one of the most dangerous means of displacement is the policy of demolishing homes, which has expanded significantly and dangerously today, as it is no longer limited to demolishing scattered homes and facilities as was the case in the past, but has begun to target entire neighborhoods and entire towns, as is happening in Silwan and the Al-Bustan neighborhood, where there are more than 7,000 demolition orders in Silwan alone, in addition to a decision to demolish the village of Al-Nu’man southwest of the city of Jerusalem and confiscate its lands.

In addition, they stressed that the Israeli occupation authorities have recently been adopting an unprecedented policy of collective punishment against the Palestinians, represented by increasing the number of military checkpoints to 300, a number that had not been recorded in previous periods, as most Palestinian towns have become surrounded by checkpoints, which has prevented citizens from moving freely between cities and villages, which they described as a "war crime" aimed at strangling Palestinian society.

Seizing 87% of Jerusalem's area

Settlement expert Khalil Al-Tafakji confirmed that the establishment of settlement outposts within Palestinian neighborhoods comes within a completely clear strategy aimed at strengthening Israeli control.

He explained that after 87% of the area of Jerusalem was seized, only 13% remained for the Palestinians.

He added that the Israeli security vision requires the establishment of settlement outposts to facilitate the processes of expulsion and replacement, i.e. the expulsion of the Palestinian population and the replacement of Israelis in their place.

Al-Tafkji pointed out that this Israeli policy began in 1973, with the formation of the "Arnon Givni" Committee, which was established by Golda Meir. At that time, it was granted all the powers and laws necessary to implement the policy of transforming the Palestinian majority into an Arab minority in exchange for a Jewish majority.

House demolitions aim to reduce the number of Jerusalemites

He also explained that the demolition of homes in Jerusalem comes within a clear strategy aimed at reducing the number of Palestinians, whose number has increased from 70,000 to 345,000 Palestinians within the municipal borders.

He pointed out that Palestinians today constitute 40% of the total population of the city in both its eastern and western parts, which prompted Israel to take steps to limit this increase, including revoking ID cards and building the racist separation wall that isolated about 150,000 Palestinians from the city, including residents of Kafr Aqab, Shuafat camp, and the areas of Al-Eizariya and Bir Onah.

Al-Tafakji stressed that the house demolition projects come in light of international support for Israel, especially after Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the annexation of the Golan Heights.

Establishing the "E1" settlement and promoting the "Greater Jerusalem" plan

He added that what is currently happening in Jerusalem is the establishment of a new settlement known as "E1", which includes the construction of 3,500 housing units and 4,000 hotel rooms on 12,000 dunams of land in At-Tur, Anata, Al-Eizariya, and Al-Issawiya.

He explained that this project represents the end of any hope of establishing a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and reinforces the "Greater Jerusalem" plan, whose area is equivalent to 10% of the West Bank.

He also pointed out that Israel is working to establish a comprehensive infrastructure in the E1 area, including the establishment of a police station and the opening of a tunnel at the Zaim checkpoint to connect the southwestern settlements of Jerusalem with the Gilo and Jabal Abu Ghneim settlements via the American Street.

Al-Tafkji pointed out the completion of tunnels in the southwestern region under Beit Jala, and the opening of other tunnels in the Qalandia area, with the approval of the confiscation of 258 dunums of land from Kafr Aqab, Mikhmas, Al-Ram, and Jaba, to connect the settlements northeast of Jerusalem, such as Beit El, with the settlement of Atarot.

He stressed that the Israeli vision is very clear in exploiting international circumstances and American support, in addition to trying to please the Israeli right and left, as both parties agree that Jerusalem is the unified capital of Israel without a Palestinian partner.

Surrounding Palestinian neighborhoods with settlements

Al-Tafakji explained that there are other settlement projects, such as the "Atarot" project, which includes the construction of 9,000 housing units, and the "Khirbet al-Tabalia" or "Givat Hamatos" project, which includes 3,500 housing units. Work is also currently underway to establish infrastructure in the Beit Safafa area.

He pointed out that these projects aim to surround Palestinian neighborhoods with settlements and penetrate them with settlement outposts, as is happening in Beit Safafa and Sheikh Jarrah. In addition, work is being done to integrate Palestinian neighborhoods into Israeli neighborhoods to achieve a process of "merging and dissolving" between East and West Jerusalem, with the aim of emphasizing that Jerusalem is a unified capital of the State of Israel that cannot be divided.

The policy of house demolitions has not stopped throughout the history of the occupation.

Dr. Hassan Khater, Director of the International Jerusalem Center, said that Jerusalem has been at the center of the ambitions of this project since the beginning of the Zionist project and the establishment of the occupation state, as dozens of plans were drawn up to displace the people of Jerusalem and control the holy city and its sanctities, most notably the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque. Perhaps one of the most dangerous means of displacement was the policy of demolishing homes, which has not stopped throughout the history of the occupation.

Khater explained that this policy has expanded significantly and dangerously today, as it is no longer limited to demolishing scattered houses and facilities as was the case in the past, but has begun to target entire neighborhoods and entire towns.

He pointed out that what is happening in Silwan and the Al-Bustan neighborhood is a clear example of this, as there are more than 7,000 demolition orders in Silwan alone, in addition to a decision to demolish the village of Al-Nu'man, southwest of the city of Jerusalem, and confiscate its lands, even though its houses were built before the establishment of the occupation state in 1948.

He also pointed out that the demolitions are ongoing in all the suburbs of the Holy City, making the future more difficult for the people of Jerusalem.

Changing the geography, demographic and urban composition of Jerusalem

Khater added that settlements and settlement outposts within Palestinian towns and neighborhoods in the eastern part of Jerusalem are among the most dangerous means used by the occupation to displace Jerusalemites and turn their lives into hell.

He stressed that these settlement outposts are expanding day after day, especially in Silwan and inside the Old City of Jerusalem, under various titles and pretexts.

Regarding major settlement projects, Khater pointed out that the occupation recently announced the construction of thousands of settlement units in the Qalandia area north of Jerusalem, in the southwestern part, in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, and other areas.

He considered that these projects would change the geography of Jerusalem and its demographic and urban structure, as the city would be completely isolated from its Palestinian surroundings, which would prevent the possibility of Jerusalem being the capital of any future Palestinian entity.

He also spoke about the "E1" project, which is considered one of the most dangerous settlement projects, as it targets a vast geographical area extending from East Jerusalem to the outskirts of Jericho and the Dead Sea.

He explained that this project includes evacuating small Bedouin communities and villages in that area, with the aim of implementing a broad annexation plan for large parts of the West Bank, led by Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich.

Khater stressed that this reality puts the Palestinian Authority at a dangerous turning point, either towards completing the construction of the Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, or slipping towards what the occupation seeks to do by transforming it into a civil administration for the affairs of Palestinian cities, far from any political entity.

He called for urgent action at all levels and by all means to stop these plans, save the Holy City from this dangerous fate, and protect the remaining lands of the West Bank before they are swallowed up by settlements.

Dr. Khater also stressed the need to confront these projects in light of the international policy complicit with the occupation, which was clearly evident in the crimes committed against the Palestinians, the most recent of which was in the Gaza Strip.

Increase the number of military checkpoints to 300

Jerusalemite lawyer Medhat Diba confirmed that the Israeli occupation authorities have recently been adopting an unprecedented policy of collective punishment against the Palestinians, represented by increasing the number of military checkpoints to 300, a number that had not been recorded in previous periods, including during the first and second intifadas.

Dibeh explained that these measures bring to mind the policy of “economic subjugation” devised by Shimon Peres, but they have surpassed all previous ones in their severity and impact on the daily lives of Palestinians. He pointed out that most Palestinian towns have become surrounded by checkpoints, preventing residents from moving freely between cities and villages, which he described as a “war crime” aimed at strangling Palestinian society.

Diba called for directing the Palestinian street to resist these policies through all legally available means, including strikes and civil disobedience, based on the provisions of international humanitarian law that apply to the occupied territories.

He added that going to Israeli courts to file lawsuits against the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Finance is an important legal tool to confront these policies, especially since these two bodies bear direct responsibility for issuing orders that serve the goals of the settlement groups.

Diba pointed out that the closure policy is part of the plan to annex the West Bank, where checkpoints are used to isolate Palestinians from their farms and lands in areas targeted by settlement ambitions. He explained that these measures make it easier for settler groups to seize land by placing signs, security points, or fences in preparation for establishing new settlement outposts.

Dibeh concluded his statement to “I” by stressing that these racist policies constitute a flagrant violation of international law, and require Palestinian and international action to stop them and hold those responsible accountable.

House demolitions to reduce Palestinian presence in Jerusalem

Israeli affairs analyst Ismail Musalmani said that East Jerusalem faces major challenges due to the policy of house demolitions pursued by the Israeli authorities. He explained that this policy aims to reduce the Palestinian presence in the city and increase Israeli control.

Muslimani stressed that the demolitions include homes built without building permits, which are difficult to obtain due to the severe restrictions imposed by the Israeli authorities.

He pointed out that in 2019, East Jerusalem recorded the highest rate of demolitions, with 63 homes demolished in one month.

Muslimani addressed the establishment of settlement outposts, explaining that they are settlement blocs established without official approval from the Israeli government, but they receive unofficial support from the occupation authorities.

He said that these outposts are usually built on private Palestinian land and are used to expand existing settlements or to establish new ones. He added that the Israeli government provides support to these outposts by providing security protection and infrastructure, even though they are considered illegal under international law.

Muslimani pointed out that the newspaper "Haaretz" reported that Israel has drawn up plans to build a series of settlement outposts in East Jerusalem, including the construction of 9,000 housing units in the Atarot area near the separation wall and near the Palestinian village of Kafr Aqab. The plans also propose the establishment of a neighborhood of 1,100 housing units for settlers near the Palestinian village of Sharafat.

Regarding attempts to obtain Trump’s approval to confiscate the E1 area, Musalmani said: “The E1 area is a strategic area located between Jerusalem and the Ma’ale Adumim settlement, and Israel seeks to annex this area to expand the settlements and cut off the geographical connection between the northern and southern West Bank. During Donald Trump’s presidency, the Israeli government tried to obtain his approval to implement this plan, but it faced international pressure that prevented it.”

He pointed out that the Israeli occupation forces in Jerusalem forced the owners of four homes and two shops to demolish them, which resulted in the displacement of about 40 Jerusalemites from four families, with additional demolition notices being issued in the town of Silwan.

Muslimani addressed the strike in the Kafr Aqab neighborhood, saying: The residents of the Kafr Aqab neighborhood in occupied Jerusalem declared a general strike in protest against the Israeli measures that hinder their daily lives. This strike comes in response to the policy of closures and arbitrary measures imposed by the Israeli authorities at the checkpoints, which increases the suffering of the residents.

He added that the strike was held under the slogan "Enough with the daily humiliation", in rejection of the military closure of the main roads by the occupation forces and the obstruction of citizens' movement, stressing that the people of Kafr Aqab are demanding an end to the state of closure and restriction of residents' movement through the surrounding checkpoints, as the occupation has been imposing strict measures that have caused stifling crises for a week.

Muslimani confirmed that Israel has placed approximately 900 checkpoints in the West Bank and Jerusalem, including 82 checkpoints in the city, and that these closures, according to Haaretz, will be linked to the prisoner exchange deal, with each stage lasting 42 days, or approximately four months. These measures come in the context of the ongoing aggression on the Jenin camp.

He said: Observers wonder whether these closures are an indication of separation, destruction and preparation to strike every city, village and camp, as practices on the ground confirm that we are facing a very dangerous stage.

Muslimani pointed out that the Israeli "cabinet" has placed the West Bank among the war targets, which means that we are facing a great possibility of a bomb exploding that will lead to a third intifada.

The occupation government sees Trump's presence as a protective cover

For his part, lawyer Muhammad Alian, who specializes in land issues in Jerusalem, confirmed that the right-wing occupation government sees Trump’s entry into the White House as a protective cover or a defensive system that supports all the operations that were waiting to be implemented.

“Since Trump entered the White House, we have witnessed a significant increase in home demolitions, as the US administration has given legitimacy to these operations,” Alian said.

Lawyer Alian added that the demolitions have escalated significantly since Trump came to power, without any international or domestic oversight, and with complete disregard for all international norms and laws that guarantee the right to housing and living in dignity.

He pointed out that the right-wing parties in the Israeli government exploited Trump's term in office to implement the ideas that were put forward during the previous White House government, as these parties intend to impose Israeli law on the West Bank, and intensify the policy of demolishing homes in the West Bank and the city of Jerusalem, taking advantage of Trump's adoption of the idea of the "Deal of the Century."

Alian explained that the Israeli government believes that implementing the "Deal of the Century" requires intensifying home demolitions during this period, considering these measures a practical step to implement Trump's vision on the ground.

Regarding the recent strike in the town of Kafr Aqab, Alian described it as a pressure tool on Israeli society, but unfortunately it does not affect the Israeli government, which is busy applying its racist laws and implementing Trump’s vision, without caring about the extent of the damage inflicted on Palestinian and Jerusalemite society.

Alian concluded by saying that the Israeli government announces today that implementing the “Deal of the Century” requires the demolition of more homes, claiming that it is in line with American policy that grants international legitimacy to these actions.