Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat announced hundreds of millions of New Israeli Shekels (NIS) have been set aside for the reinforcement of the Jewish identity in east Jerusalem under the guise of implementing vital investment projects.
During a press conference, Barkat said more than NIS 300 million ($77m) has been allocated specifically for east Jerusalem over a five-year plan. Of that, he said NIS 100 million will go toward security, while NIS 200 million will be allocated for infrastructure.
“An additional NIS 350 million is earmarked for “boosting culture and tourism there”, he said.
Barkat also said one of the municipal priorities is the investments in Arab schools by changing the Palestinian educational curricula. He claimed that the Israeli curricula are more developed and “enhance the Jewishness of the state”.
Barkat, who is one of the settlers and supporters of settlement in Palestinian occupied lands, said that Arab youths were responsible for the vast majority of the city’s violence.
180 million shekels to woo European Jews to live in Palestine
Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said the Israeli government would discuss on Sunday, February 15, an "emergency plan" to encourage Jewish families from France, Belgium and Ukraine to immigrate to occupied Palestine.
The newspaper affirmed on Sunday that the government intends to start its plan immediately this year, using the atmosphere against Jews in some European countries and the war in Ukraine to convince the Jewish minorities to live in the occupied territories.
It added that the government earmarked 180 million shekels for its mass immigration program, which could be approved by the Israeli premier and the minister of immigration during the meeting.
This plan, according to Palestinian officials, means more settlement expansion activities in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.
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