By: Nir Hasson/ Haaretz (adapted)

The Israeli Civil Administration is trying to double the size of the Har Gillo settlement near Jerusalem by establishing a new neighborhood in a remote area from the current one. According to cons' opinions, this neighborhood will constitute a new settlement in a sensitive area in terms of climate and nature, which is considered a protected location for an international heritage by UNESCO, that is, about stony stands in Battir village (a Palestinian village in the West Bank).

If the settlement neighborhood, which will contain 560 settlement units, is established, it will circle al-Walaja village (a Palestinian village in the West Bank) after surrounding it from three sides by the racist separation wall.

The inhabitants of al-Walaja have been struggling, a couple of years ago, the demolishing of dozens of houses in the village. Additionally, the Israeli occupation didn't allow them to build inside the village lands, under the pretext of maintaining the natural view and the traditional agriculture, while the mountain chains surrounding the village are filled with Jewish settlements and neighborhoods.

In a related context, the Director-General of the “EcoPeace” organization for nature protection, Gideon Bromberg, said: “we have managed to maintain this outstanding area by the racist separation wall and by registering it as an international heritage site. Now, it is threatened from the North by the industrial zone and by the new neighborhood from the South.” In this regard, EcoPeace warned that establishing this neighborhood would put the international heritage at an existential risk that would lead to its loss.