A racialized space: social engineering in Jerusalem

Abstract

The Zionist project to remove or ‘transfer’ Palestinians from Palestine began but did not end in 1948; it continues to this very day. Since 1980, Jerusalem has been the central focus of the transfer process: the central hub of the project of coercively removing long-established Palestinian communities in order to make space for new Jewish arrivals. This paper examines the nature and mechanisms of this ongoing transfer from redrawing of boundaries and a system of checkpoints to the legal devices, complexities and manoeuvring employed to achieve the transfer of Palestinians, such as zoning, construction permits and even including documentation of the birth of a child. As the political, cultural and geographical core of the conflict between Zionism and the Palestinians, Jerusalem serves, in effect, as a kind of microcosm of the wider conflict.

Reproductive health and rights in East Jerusalem: the effects of militarisation and biopolitics on the experiences of pregnancy and birth of Palestinians living in the Kufr ‘Aqab neighbourhood

“…"permanent residency" status). After Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967, it divided Palestinians into two groups: 7 individuals residing in East Jerusalem were given "permanent residency" (informally known as Jerusalem ID) and Palestinians in all other areas were given what is now known as the Green ID (in reference to the colour of the document cover). Israel illegally annexed Jerusalem and subjugated permanent residents to its jurisdiction and holders of Jerusalem ID are the only group that can live and work there.…”

“…Israeli discriminatory policies targeting Arab residents of East Jerusalem begin "literally at birth" [ 7 ,p.545]. While children of Jewish residents of the city are automatically eligible to live in East Jerusalem, 7 Palestinian children's eligibility for residency is contingent upon fulfilling several conditions. Palestinian babies who have at least one parent with a Jerusalem ID must be born in a hospital located in Jerusalem to be able to apply for Jerusalem ID several years later.…”

“…The boundaries of East Jerusalem, for example, have been redrawn by the separation wall to exclude highly populated Palestinian areas while including less populated land. 7,9 The "centre of life" policy caused over 14,000 individual residencies to be revoked since 1967, 23 justified by Israel as mostly due to failure of those involved to prove they live within Jerusalem municipality boundaries. According to Jefferis, the L Hamayel et al Reproductive Health Matters 2017;25(S1):S87-S95…”

“…Palestinian families who may have lived in Jerusalem before Israel was established in 1948 became "permanent residents" whereas Jewish residents who may be recent immigrants receive full benefits of living in the city and the ability to almost unconditionally pass that to their children. 7 We focus in this study on how biopolitics in the form of checkpoints and residency affect access to maternal care for Kufr 'Aqab residents. The aim is to elucidate deeper understanding of the impact Israeli policies have on pregnancy and birthing experiences of Palestinian women and men in East Jerusalem, and furthermore, to examine these findings in the light of current definitions of reproductive rights.…”

“…2 Israeli biopolitics, "the production, maintenance and control of 'undesirable' populations", [2, p. 1201] are practiced through segregation of the city from the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories (West Bank and Gaza Strip) and by restricting where East Jerusalem Palestinians can live and give birth. 7,8 Only Palestinians with "permanent residency" can live and work in East Jerusalem. They must continuously prove that they are residing within the boundaries dictated by Jerusalem's municipal authorities or lose their residency.…”