The story of the Ma’ale Adumim area

May 2009Shaul Arieli

The Plan and the RationaleIn recent years, the Israeli plan for the Ma’ale Adumim area is being materialized. The plan was conceived in the days of PM Sharon, as part of the approach of unilateral reality shaping. Its main tenets include: .

A. Building of the Separation Barrier on a route that enables annexation of significant areas of the West Bank to Israel.

B. Building of separate roads systems for Israelis and Palestinians so as to create a new Palestinian life fabric, to be excluded from the Israeli space.

C. Strengthening and enlargement of Israeli settlements.

The official negotiations conducted by Israel with the PLO (which became, once again, “a partner”) revealed the possible realm of understanding on the territorial issue. Despite this fact, Israel continued in materializing Sharon’s unilateralist plan.

This presentation demonstrates the enormous investment in transportation and settlement in the space between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim. This investment assumes that united Jerusalem shall forever remain under Israeli control, and the Ma’ale Adumim area, amounting to 1.2% of the West Bank, will be annexed to Israel. This assumption is flawed in light of the Palestinian willingness to a territorial exchange of only 2% in a permanent status agreement, and in light of their regard of east Jerusalem as their future Capital.

Therefore, one of the two must be true: either the Israeli government intentionally undermines the chances to reach a permanent status agreement, or it knowingly wastes Israeli tax payers’ money instead of investing it in areas that cry out for funding (education, healthcare, infrastructure etc.).

The situation today:

Ma’ale Adumim

Jerusalem1. The barrier is not built2. Palestinians drive outside Jerusalem

on roads marked red & yellow.3. Israelis drive on roads marked red &

blue.4. The separation road is not in use.

14

3

2

A-Za’ayyem

United Jerusalem

A-Za’ayyem passage

(existing) A-Za’ayyem interchange: a separation system between Israeli and Palestinian traffic with 13 possibilities

(follow the yellow track)

Israelis From French Hill to Ma’ale Adumim

Israelis From Mount Scopus to Ma’ale Adumim

Israelis From French Hill to A-Tur

Israelis From French Hill to A-Za’ayyem

Israelis From A-Tur to Ma’ale Adumim

Israelis From A-Tur to A-Za’ayyem

Israelis From A-Za’ayyem to Jerusalem

Israelis and Palestinians From A-Za’ayyem to Ma’ale Adumim & Abu Dis

Israelis From Mount Scopus to French Hill

Israelis From Mount Scopus to A-Tur

Israelis and Palestinians From Ma’ale Adumim and Abu Dis

to A-Za’ayyem

Israelis From Ma’ale Adumim to French Hill

Israelis From Ma’ale Adumim to Mount Scopus

What’s in the future plan?

Main tenets (see map):1. Completion of the barrier2. Building of “Mevaseret Adumim”3. Building the “cross Azariya” road for Palestinians4. Building of “Ma’ale Adumim bypass” road for Palestinians5. Opening of the already built “separation road”6. Removal of A-Za’ayyem checkpoint7. Opening of the “Olives passage” for passage by permitted

Palestinians8. Turning of Road 1 and its extensions into an Israeli only

road

Building the barrier (1)

Palestinians only road (planned)

Israelis only road (existing)

(8)

Building E1 (2)

Removal of A-

Za’ayyem passage

(6)

“Olives passage” for

Palestinians (7)

“separation road”(built) (5)

(3)

(4)

And let us not say that we did not know what was done, and where the

money goes…

The End