Israel-Palestine: For Human Values in the Absence of a Just Peace | Page 24

Israel-Palestine: For Human Values in the Absence of a Just Peace

The Oslo Accords identified seven key problems—“permanent status issues”—
that a peace settlement would need to address: 1) Jerusalem, 2) refugees, 3) settlements,
4) security arrangements, 5) borders, 6) relations and cooperation with neighboring
countries and 7) other issues of common interest.xlvi This report does not discuss item 6,
relations with neighboring countries. Among the “other issues of common interest”, the
report focuses on those of Water and Economic Development in Palestine. Gaza is also
an issue of common interest, although the study team was not allowed to visit there and
gather first-hand information.
Jerusalem
Compared with 1993, Jerusalem is farther than ever from being a shared capital of
two states, as envisioned at Oslo. After 1967 Israel unilaterally applied its law in East
Jerusalem and annexed it, initially de facto and later officially. xlvii Israel took away the
Palestinian citizenship of those living in East Jerusalem and has made it difficult for them
to get Israeli citizenship even if they apply for it.xlviii They have residency IDs, but these
are conditional on making Jerusalem the center of their life and not leaving the area for
too long. Israeli authorities check their homes, even at night sometimes, and use various
pretexts to evict the residents and take over or destroy their homes and businesses.
Residents need permits to make improvements or substantial repairs to their homes, but
these are rarely granted; residents may lose their homes for making unlicensed repairs.
Seizing of the property by Jewish settlers is also a problem. Israeli settlers receive
preferential treatment and usually subsidies for building in East Jerusalem. Between
1967—the start of the Israeli military occupation of the West Bank—and the end of 2014,
14,481 Palestinians have lost Jerusalem residency.xlix Between 2004 and 2015, 2,128
people, including 1,150 minors, were left homeless due to home demolitions in Jerusalem
by Israeli authorities.l
Despite being stripped of their citizenship, the East Jerusalem residents pay full
Israeli taxes to a regime that neglects to provide adequate infrastructure and services.
Israel revoked the social benefits and health insurance of these families. They cannot vote
in Israeli national elections, where decisions about Jerusalem are made. The Government
of Israel dominates the city ever more tightly through restrictions that deter Palestinians
from living in Jerusalem or using it as an economic hub with connections to the rest of
the West Bank and Gaza. Israel maintains this control through a range of measures,
including checkpoints, a permit system, residency restrictions for Palestinians, and the
growth of surrounding settlements. The separation barrier and Israeli military checkpoints
deny Palestinians freedom of movement between the West Bank and Jerusalem. Families
are often separated when one parent has status for residency with the Israeli authorities
and the other does not.
Refugees
Palestinian refugees—about 8 m [[ۈ