The article discusses an Israeli plan to transform Jerusalem into a major urban area that connects western and eastern Jerusalem with surrounding settlements.
The article reveals an Israeli scheme aimed at turning Jerusalem into a unified metropolitan area that links both western and eastern Jerusalem with nearby settlements. This plan, as highlighted by the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, seeks to reinforce the status of the city as a singular and eternal capital of Israel.
The project involves the physical and geographical connection of surrounding settlement blocs to Jerusalem, gradually creating neighborhoods that are integrated with the city itself. Such a development is poised to obstruct any potential future division of Jerusalem as part of a political settlement, effectively isolating the city from its Palestinian context and severing geographic continuity with Palestinian territories.
This strategy has significant implications for the political landscape in the region, as it raises concerns about the feasibility of a two-state solution and could exacerbate tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. Critics argue that this move undermines the prospect for peace by altering the demographic and geographic realities of Jerusalem.
