The Jerusalem municipality is exploiting “empty land cultivation orders” in order to take over land belonging to the East Jerusalem village of Issawiya.The ’empty land cultivation orders’, posted over more than 700 dunams of Issawiya land last week, mean the Jerusalem municipality intends to landscape the area, create pathways and install facilities.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz notes that there is no other known case in which municipal cultivation has been applied to such a large area of land outside of the city limits; these orders normally apply to small areas with the city.
Last week Issawiya residents invited journalists, activists, diplomats and Knesset members to come see the area and learn about the situation.
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