Israel Turns the Status of ‘Anata- Shu’fat Checkpoint to Crossing Terminal

June 22, 2007

In August 2006, the Israeli Ministry of Defense issued a military order to confiscate 9 dunums from the Jerusalemite town of Shu'fat north of Jerusalem. The confiscated land belongs to the local residents Mr. Suleiman Muhammad Al Dajjani and Mr. Abu Al Waleed Muhammad Al Dajjani.

The order claimed the land in order to alter the status of the existing permanent checkpoint ('Anata – Shu'fat checkpoint) located on the western entrance of Shu'fat refugee camp to what is identified as a Crossing Terminal. The new terminal will control the movement of Palestinian with Jerusalem Identity Card to Jerusalem, as many of the Palestinian residents of Anata and Shu'fat hold these cards. Shu'fat Refugee Camp and 'Anata town are traditionally parts of Jerusalem, at least until the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem and the Israeli Army concluded their schemes to control the bulk areas of empty lands that belong to Anata and Shu'fat to their control and execute their colonization plans on these lands. Settlements were built, bypass roads were constructed, military bases were established, and the Segregation Wall isolated empty lands.

almost a year later, and as the final terminals plan was finalized by the Israeli Army, the Israeli bulldozers started on June 3, 2007 to level the confiscated land to initiate the construction process of the crossing terminal. This was carried out under the protection of the Israeli Army. On the ground, the constructions exceeded confiscated lands to include an additional 5 Dunums leased by the 'Jerusalem Governorate Electric Company.' The lease came out from the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem in the mid of 1980s and extend until the year 2006. However, The Israeli Municipality rejected the company's request to renew the lease and served the company with an order to evacuate the land and remove the company's installations from targeted land. See Map 1

Battle of Existence

Once the Israeli Segregation Wall is completed at that area and the construction work on the crossing terminal is done, the Jerusalemite village of 'Anata as well as Shu'fat refugee camp will be ghettoized by the Israeli Apartheid Segregation Wall, and confined within an enclave, they will no longer be part of Jerusalem. More than 21 Palestinian Jerusalemites will no longer be able to access Jerusalem as the use to but instead will be restricted to certain access point.

Furthermore, the Israeli Segregation Wall will dramatically isolate an additional six Palestinian localities with a population nearing 70,000 (PCBS 2006), from the city of Jerusalem, these localities are Hizma , Al Ram, Al Sawahereh Al Sharqieh, Al Izzariyya , Al Sheikh Sa'ed and Abu Dis.

On the ground, and as a result of the new situation, many Palestinian families from 'Anata and Shu'fat Refugee Camp, holding Jerusalem ID cards were left out of the Segregation Wall, which will eventually threaten their status as Jerusalemites if they are not living within the Jerusalem boundary as identified by Israel as their houses become out of the Jerusalem's boundary.

Without doubt, many Jerusalem localities such as 'Anata, Al Ram & parts of Dahiet Al Barid, Hizma and Shu'fat Refugee Camp have been left out of the Apartheid Segregation Wall for demographic reasons not for security considerations despite the Israeli Authorities claim otherwise.

To Conclude

What is happening with the Segregation Wall around Jerusalem has motives beyond land confiscation, but it is a methodical campaign led by various Israeli parties to alter and manipulate the demographic balance of the city to favor Jewish supremacy over Palestinian population. Israel is determined to maintain the Palestinian existence in occupied Jerusalem to fixed percentage of the population that range from 25%-30% at any time and at any cost. This Israeli led demographic war in Jerusalem comes in preparation for and if the time to negotiate over Jerusalem ever come.

The Israeli Occupation practices in the occupied Palestinian territory and especially in the city of Jerusalem clearly violate the Palestinian human rights under international law and the fourth Geneva Convention of 1949.. According to the International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid (1973), apartheid is defined as 'the imposition of various legislative measures on different racial groups while injuring the rights of one. Moreover, the crime of Apartheid comprises a 'crime against humanity' and 'a serious threat to regional peace and security'.

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