108 Israeli Land Grab and Forced Population Transfer of Palestinians Jerusalem Master Plan 2000 Unveiled on 13 September 2004, the Jerusalem Master Plan is a comprehensive Israeli Planning Scheme that serves as the authoritative blueprint for all municipal planning within the Jerusalem Municipality. The Master Plan zones areas intended for specific functions such as residency, urban building, transportation, etc.387 All Local Town Planning Schemes developed for specific neighborhoods within the Municipality must conform to the zoning and planning provisions detailed within the Master Plan. The currently proposed Jerusalem Master Plan is a composition of successive Israeli Master Plans entailing both minor and major adjustments for urban planning in the Jerusalem Municipality, including both the Jerusalem Master Plan 2020 and the more recent Jerusalem Master Plan 2030.388 The Jerusalem Master Plan distinguishes Jerusalem as the primary Israeli national priority and cites among its goals: “maintaining the demographic balance between the city’s Jewish and Palestinian residents.”389 The Plan provides a legal pretext for the appropriation of Palestinian land and the expansion of Israeli colonies.390 Additionally, it includes 13,500 new housing units for the Palestinian population of East Jerusalem. However, even if the city fully realizes the construction plans mentioned in the outline plan for East Jerusalem, there will still be a tremendous shortfall of 15,000-30,000 housing units by 2030.391 The Jerusalem Master Plan imposes further restrictions by requiring landowners to prove that the area in question has no environmental protections in place or any archeological or Jewish religious significance.392 In addition, the Plan strengthens the Israeli chain of colonies around the Old City and the so-called Historic Basin.393 While the Jerusalem Master Plan will not 387 Coalition for Jerusalem, ‘Master Plan 2000’, August 2004; available from http://www. coalitionforjerusalem.org/main.php?id=30; accessed 22 April 2013. 388 The Civic Coalition for Defending Palestinian Rights in Jerusalem, Aggressive Urbanism. 389 Ir amim, ‘Jerusalem Master Plan 2000- General Analysis and Comments’ (June 2010); available from http://eng.ir-amim.org.il/_Uploads/dbsAttachedFiles/master.pdf; accessed 22 April 2013. 390 A supplement to the Master Plan, the Israeli Regional Urban Plan TTMI ‘Plan No. 30’ was approved as a draft law in 2010 and legislates a process of furthering Judaization of Jerusalem by expanding the mandatory zoning and urban planning guidelines, increasing settlement construction and restricting land available for Palestinian development. The plan aims to encourage young Jew-Israelis to settle occupied Jerusalem by providing housing and financial benefits. See: CCPRJ, Urban Planning in Jerusalem (Jerusalem, n.d.); available from http://www.civiccoalition-jerusalem.org/system/files/ urban_planning_in_jerusalem_final.pdf; accessed 22 April 2013. 391 Ir Amim, ‘Jerusalem Master Plan 2000’. 392 The Civic Coalition for Defending Palestinian Rights in Jerusalem, Aggressive Urbanism, 14. 393 CCPRJ, Urban Planning in Jerusalem.