

Map from 2009 showing the areas of Wadi Ara to be annexed to the municipality of Harish. The blue outline was the existing municipal boundaries. The blue shaded area shows the Palestinian areas to be moved under Harish’s authority. The Yellow area was the current jurisdiction of Harish. (Map: dar-elhanoun.org)



Ariel Atias, housing minister

Today the New York Times says Islamists want to take part in the new Egyptian government, and how scary that is. Well, is anyone paying attention to Israel’s new plans for a “segregated” Jewish development in northern Israel, in an area home to many Palestinians? This is actual Judaization, taking place before our eyes. From Palestine Monitor:

The small village of Harish has become a hot spot of contentious debate since plans were unveiled to build an ultra-Orthodox only city in the predominantly Palestinian region. Harish is a village in the Wadi Ara, a region in northern Israel that falls in the Haifa District and “The Triangle” in Israel. Wadi Ara is home to roughly 120,000 Palestinians and 10,000 Jews.

From Ynet: Minister plans segregated housing : “The conference was held in Jerusalem under the banner ‘Segregated Country.'” More:

“Haredim will take over secular neighborhoods if ultra-Orthodox cities or neighborhoods are not planned,” Housing and Construction Minister Ariel Atias said Tuesday. Speaking at a conference organized by the Gesher Foundation, which promotes dialogue between seculars and the religious public, the minister added, “I’m in favor of separate housing in separate neighborhoods for haredim. I would not let my children meet with secular youth.”

And hat’s off to us: We got on this minister Atias’s crazy ideas two years ago. “What democratic values do we supposedly share?”

