Jerusalem development plan seen as ‘touristic settlement’
JERUSALEM — A picturesque ridge in Jerusalem, steeped in ancient history, is a favorite with visitors who come to snap panoramic photographs of the domes and spires of the Old City across a wooded valley below.
Many believe that the ridge is the site of the Hill of Evil Counsel, where, according to Christian tradition, Judas plotted to betray Jesus. In the not-too-distant future, if developers get their way, visitors will be able to glide down from this perch on a zip line into the green valley known as the Peace Forest.
The zip line is one of a number of planned attractions billed as a tourist draw and a way to ease access to sites of historical interest. The developers also envision a cable car, a pedestrian bridge and visitor centers, along with a model farm that has already been built.
But the ridge and the valley beneath it run along the highly delicate seam between predominantly Palestinian East Jerusalem and the mostly Jewish western flank of this contested city. They are part of the historical vista around the Old City walls known as the holy basin, a terrain dotted with archaeological ruins and shrines of all three major monotheistic religions.
Critics say the planned projects will turn what is left of the open, rolling landscape around the Old City into a kind of Disneyland and mar the iconic skyline.
Opponents also see the plans as part of a grander political strategy to erase the line between East and West Jerusalem and strengthen Israel’s claim to sovereignty over all of Jerusalem. They say the intent is to emphasize the Jewish history and culture of areas loaded with religious and political sensitivities, and play down their Muslim, Christian or Palestinian character.
The involvement of a private Jewish settler organization has only fueled those concerns.
The developers insist that the plans — some of which have been in the works for years — will pump life back into long-neglected areas.
But they could also upset the delicate balance in Jerusalem, which is always volatile. And most of the projects have been approved in government committees without much public scrutiny, so there has been little discussion about the possible impact.
Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 war and then annexed it, though most countries still consider it occupied territory.
A private Jewish settler organization, the City of David Foundation, or Elad, its Hebrew acronym, is partnering with local and national government agencies to help develop the attractions. Those agencies are providing much of the financing.
Elad is dedicated to the development of what many experts believe to be the biblical City of David and its environs. Its flagship project has been managing the City of David archaeological site in Silwan, a Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem.
More than three decades ago, Elad began acquiring properties around the site, where excavations began more than a century ago, and moving Jewish families into the houses there.
Doron Spielman, vice president of Elad, said his group works for the benefit of Jews, Christians and Muslims in Jerusalem. Its mission, he said, is “to bring tourists, education and archaeology so someone enters an entire landscape that is biblical and can connect to their historical identity and to their roots, to their DNA.”
Some critics have called the projects “touristic settlement,” based on Elad’s involvement and what appears to be its evolving strategy — cementing Israel’s claims to the holy basin by bringing thousands of tourists to the area.
Local Palestinians claim ownership of some of the land now being cleared and landscaped in the Hinnom Valley, which was declared part of the Jerusalem Ramparts national park in 1974. The Israel Nature and Parks Authority, which has partnered with Elad in remodeling the valley, says the ownership of the disputed land has not been determined.