The Israeli Ministerial Committee for Legislation is expected to approve today, Sunday, a draft law that legalizes the annexation of settlements in the occupied Jerusalem area to Israel, through the establishment of the so-called "Metropolis of Jerusalem", meaning Greater Jerusalem, so that it includes settlements including "Ma'ale Adumim", "Beitar Illit", "Givat Ze'ev", "Efrat", "Ma'ale Mikhmash" and others.

According to the bill submitted by Likud MK Dan Elioz, “the law, the judiciary and the administration of the state will apply to the Jerusalem Metropolitan Area,” and the mayor of Jerusalem will be the head of the metropolitan area, and the heads of the settlement councils will be members of the “Metropolitan Authority.”

The bill requires the Israeli government and the metropolis to work to expand the land allocated for construction, under the pretext of encouraging young couples to live in this area, expanding public transportation and educational institutions, and more.

The bill's rationale stated that Jerusalem's status had declined in recent years, and that there was negative migration from it, and that the bill would restore to the city "its status as a symbol and as the heart of the Jewish people, and would mobilize the best forces in Israel and among world Jewry to strengthen Jerusalem."

The bill added that settlements near Jerusalem would be able to maintain self-rule, and adding residents would "enable the preservation of demographic balance, and enable many areas to increase construction for housing, commerce, tourism and entertainment, and to preserve green areas."

However, the human rights organization Ir Amim stressed that “the bill seeks to advance an annexation that is illegal under international law and constitutes a continuation of Israel’s gross violation of international law. Annexing settlements in the West Bank under the bill cuts off the West Bank, severs the necessary geographical continuity between the Bethlehem and Hebron areas and between Ramallah and Nablus, and further isolates East Jerusalem and its residents from the entire Palestinian space. This annexation will constitute another extremely important obstacle to a future political solution and other possibilities in the entire region.”

"In addition to the political consequences, the situation today, despite existing legislation that provides special budgets for the city, Jerusalem has been the poorest city for years. The current bill will push many people into the densely populated city, and will cause further enormous damage to its weak economic and social status," Ir Hamim noted.

The association added that "the bill seeks to weaken the Palestinian population in Jerusalem, by imposing a Jewish demographic majority."