etc.113 The Plan officially aims at “maintaining the demographic balance between the city’s Jewish and Palestinian residents,”114 but actually provides the authorities with a legal pretext for the appropriation of Palestinian land and the expansion of Israeli colonies. Indeed, the “housing potential” was described by a city engineer as the only way to achieve and maintain the proportion of the Arab population in Jerusalem under 28 percent against 72 percent Jew,115 confirming the true aim of de-Palestinianization of Jerusalem. The currently proposed Master Plan for Jerusalem is a composition of successive Israeli Master Plans, entailing both minor and major adjustments for urban planning in the Jerusalem Municipality. It includes the Jerusalem Master Plan 2020 and Jerusalem Master Plan 2030.116 Although not finalized or approved, the Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing has already reported that this policy of demographic balance (maintaining a Jewish majority is clearly stated as the main goal) is discriminatory and violates human rights law.117 In 1999, only 10 percent of the Jerusalem municipal budget was allocated to Palestinian neighborhoods, even though they represent more than one third of the population.118 2. Home Demolitions As everywhere else in Palestine, the demolition of Palestinian homes in Jerusalem 113 BADIL, Israeli Land Grab and Forced Population Transfer of Palestinians, 108. 114 Ir amim, “Jerusalem Master Plan 2000- General Analysis and Comments”, Journal of Palestine Studies, 2010, 194, Available at: https://oldwebsite.palestine-studies.org/ sites/default/files/jps-articles/jps.2010.xl_.1.193.pdf 115 Eyal Weizman, “Demographic Architecture”, Jerusalem Quarterly 38, 2009, 17, Available at: https://oldwebsite.palestine-studies.org/sites/default/files/jqarticles/38_Demographic_2.pdf 116 BADIL, Israeli Land Grab and Forced Population Transfer of Palestinians, 46. 117 Raquel Rolnik, Report of the Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing as a Component of the Right to an Adequate Standard of Living, and on the Right to Non-discrimination in This Context, 2012, 11–12, Accessed 15 February 2022, Available at: https://www. ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/RegularSessions/Session28/Documents/A_ HRC_28_62_ENG.doc 118 B’tselem, “Neglect of Infrastructure and Services in Palestinian Neighborhoods,” 2011, Accessed 17 February 2022, Available at: https://www.btselem.org/jerusalem 28

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