T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights today thanked Nir Barkat, Mayor of Jerusalem, for his public commitment to issue a new plan for a park in the Al-Bustan neighborhood of Silwan, East Jerusalem that would allow all local residents to remain in their homes. Previous draft plans for the creation of a biblically themed park in this predominantly Palestinian neighborhood called for the eviction and demolition of up to 88 homes.
In an extensive interview with The Times of Israel Founding Editor, David Horovitz, Mayor Barkat said that he intends to introduce a new plan for theGan Hamelech, or King’s Garden, Park. “Now the new plan doesn’t call for any eviction, everyone improves their quality of life, you bring dramatic investments into the place, you enable commerce, and all the residents stay,” explained the mayor.
The currently available public plan retains the elements of eviction and demolition.
“We are encouraged by Mayor Barkat’s public statement that the construction of the King’s Garden will no longer involve the eviction of families from Al-Bustan,” said Rabbi Jill Jacobs, Executive Director of T’ruah. “We urge the mayor to release his new plan immediately so that residents and human rights organizations can verify that no homes are slated for demolition.”
Mayor Barkat, who is up for reelection in October, previously justified the demolition of homes in Al-Bustan because the buildings were constructed without permits.
“Unauthorized construction in Al-Bustan is a direct result of the Israeli government’s failure to provide a timely and just zoning and building plan for all of East Jerusalem,” said Joshua Bloom, Director of Israel Programs at T’ruah. “Silwan’s local leaders, like most East Jerusalemites want to find legal solutions for their housing needs, but currently have virtually no way to acquire legal permits to build.”
Rabbi Rachel Goldenberg, co-chair of the T’ruah Board, added, “In the Bible, gardens are planted for the benefit of human beings. Uprooting families in order to recreate a biblical landscape runs counter to what a religiously-inspired garden should be.”
Read The Times of Israel interview with Nir Barkat, Mayor of Jerusalem, here:
http://www.timesofisrael.com/one-jerusalem-undivided-open-to-all-controlled-by-israel
Read background information on this issue here: