The Israeli occupation authorities today approved the destruction of dozens of Palestinian businesses in Wadi al-Joz neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem as part of a plan to construct a new settlement on their ruins called ‘Silicon Valley’, a step that has raised concern and anger of the Palestinian businesses in the area, most of them have been there since before the Israeli occupation in 1967.
The Israeli municipality of West Jerusalem has advanced the plan for the technology park, the Silicon Valley or Wadi Silicon, which would result in the confiscation of 2,000 dunums of Palestinian-owned land and the demolition of over 200 Palestinian shops, restaurants, and facilities such as car repair and parts shops, in the neighborhood to make room for the construction of some 900 hotel rooms.
The new Israeli plan to construct a Silicon Valley-inspired tech centre in Wadi al-Joz, an Arab neighbourhood in #Jerusalem, is yet another example of Israel's strategy of the gradual displacement of Palestinians from the city through colonial-style gentrification. https://t.co/F0d9HKGSec
— Nadi Abusaada (@NadiSaadeh) June 4, 2020
The 2.1-billion shekels ($600 million) project, first made public on June 3, allocates 250,000 square meters to “real estate for high-tech companies” as well as further 100,000 square meters split between “shopping centers” and “hotels”. It falls within the “East Jerusalem City Center” master project, approved by the Israeli occupation’s planning and zoning committee in April.
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— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) November 2, 2020
The project will also see the construction of new roads, a light rail and a settler park near Kedron Valley to the south of the city.
The Israeli authorities have served eviction notices to dozens of Palestinian facilities and shops, allowing them until December 30 to leave before the demolitions are carried out.
(WAFA, PC, Social Media)
