Jerusalem municipality refuses to serve areas behind Separation Wall

Israeli municipality in Jerusalem has refused to serve Arab neighbourhoods lying beyond the Israeli Separation Wall in the north of the holy city, Al-Quds newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Arab residents in Jerusalem neighbourhoods lying beyond the Wall, mainly in Al-Salam Neighbourhood, are suffering from an infestation of rodents.

Last week, an Arab citizen applied to the municipality for help in fighting rodents in the area, but was told that the municipality officers do not enter areas beyond the Wall.

Later on, the same man received a call from the municipality telling him that his application was refused and the complaint was closed because it was a personal, not a public issue.

Meanwhile, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel sent a strong letter to the municipality, calling it to immediately find a solution for the rodent problem in neighbourhoods behind the Wall.

The Association reiterated that the neighbourhoods such as Al-Salam are still affiliated to the city’s municipality, despite lying behind the Wall.

According to the Association, the municipality also does not collect garbage, does not offer running water or sewage services for any neighbourhoods beyond the Wall.