Roads as political tools: the case of Beit Safafa One of the major aims within Jerusalem’s planning strategies is limiting the quantity of Palestinians inside Jerusalem. However, an annexation of Palestinian territory for Israeli colonial expansion, too, is pursued, benefiting more than 176,000 Jewish-Israeli colonizers.132 This contributes to the idea of a ‘Greater Jerusalem’, representing another attempt of colonial expansionism around Jerusalem to diverse colony blocks.133 To optimize this plan of a ‘Greater Jerusalem’, a network of highways and other transport infrastructure is set up to connect East and West Jerusalem with colonies in the West Bank. This planning strategy impacts different Palestinian villages within Jerusalem Municipality, among them Beit Safafa. Firstly, the construction of the Annexation and Separation Wall and the resulting influx of Palestinians deciding to stay within neighborhoods on the western side of the Wall (under Israeli jurisdiction), affected Beit Safafa since it does not possess any land reserves to manage the population increase, nor for future development. Since its annexation by Israel in 1967, people of Beit Safafa lost approximately one-third of their land.134 Furthermore, the village was affected by two largescale Israeli land confiscations allegedly undertaken for ‘public purpose’ in 1970 and 1991. However, Israel used the expropriated Palestinian land for the development of the Jewish-Israeli colonies of Gilo and Givat Hamatos.135 Currently, Beit Safafa is surrounded from all sides by Jewish-Israeli colonies and by main roads limiting the possibility of expansion.136 The most urgent matter today is the construction of Road no. 4. This is a 1.5 km long and 6-lane wide highway, with 10-11 lanes in some parts, connecting the colonies of Gush Etzion with Jerusalem.137 In order to establish this road, a total of 234 dunums were confiscated.138 Given that Beit Safafa was cut in the 1970s by another road connecting the colony of Gilo with Jerusalem, Road no. 4 would now cut the village from west to east and thereby slicing the village into four parts. It will disconnect local internal roads and block all access to kindergartens, schools, the health 132 ECCP, EU Obligations and Duty to End Israeli Policies of Forced Transfer, Colonialism and Apartheid in Occupied East Jerusalem, 23. 133 Ibid., 17. 134 Ibid., 18. 135 BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights, Israeli Land Grab and Forced Population Transfer of Palestinians, A Handbook for Vulnerable Individuals and Communities, 74. 136 Bimkom, “Survey of Palestinian Neighborhoods in East Jerusalem - Jerusalem South - Beit Safafa.” 137 Stop the Wall, “Stop Israeli Illegal Settlement Highway in Jerusalem.” 138 Bimkom, “Survey of Palestinian Neighborhoods in East Jerusalem - Jerusalem South - Beit Safafa.” 43