Even as work continues on a concrete wall dividing Jerusalem, tireless efforts continue to build a “live Jewish wall” to “secure the city’s unity.” The reference is to budding Jewish neighborhoods in areas of the capital that are currently populated by Arabs, but are in reality on Jewish-owned land. Organizations such as Yeshivat Ateret Cohanim and Uvneh Yerushalayim have re-created facts on the ground in the following neighborhoods:

* Shimon HaTzaddik (just to the east of Route 1 connecting the Old City with northern Jerusalem);
* Maaleh HaZeitim (just south of the Old City and Mt. of Olives);
* the City of David (beneath and to southeast of the Old City);
* the Yemenite Village adjacent to the City of David (see );
* and now, the latest addition: Kidmat Tziyon, otherwise known as Abu Dis.

Kidmat (from the word meaning ‘advance’ or ‘front’) Tziyon is a project of Yeshivat Ateret Cohanim, a community in what is known as the Old City’s “Moslem Quarter.” Late last night, some 150 members of the yeshivah escorted four families as they moved into two newly-purchased homes in Abu Dis. The new tenants brought generators, furniture and other equipment to begin setting up their new community, which is planned to comprise 320-340 housing units in the future. Located only 100 meters from the building intended to serve as the PA capital in Abu Dis, the new neighborhood can be read about at www.jrpisrael.com.

A Jewish group purchased the land as part of a large 150-acre plot in 1924, but their plans to build a neighborhood never materialized because of Arab pogroms and British refusal to grant permission. In the 1940’s and 50’s, Arabs began building in the area, though a part of the land remained mostly non-developed. “The Jewish neighborhood that was slated to be built in the 1920’s, will now be built by us,” says Daniel Luria, spokesman for the Jerusalem Reclamation Project. “We are simply completing the job.”

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 4th, 2004 and is filed under ourjerusalem.