Israel moves to approve first major new settlement in occupied Jerusalem since 1990s

The Israeli government is advancing plans to establish a large new settlement for ultra-Orthodox Jews in north occupied Jerusalem, in an area previously used as an airport between Beit Hanina and Kafr Aqab.

According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the proposal will be submitted on Wednesday to the Jerusalem District Planning and Building Committee for renewed approval.

The plan includes the construction of approximately 9,000 housing units in a settlement to be named Akerot. Preparations for the project began several years ago but were repeatedly frozen, most notably following pressure from the administration of former US president Barack Obama.

In 2021, the District Committee halted the plan again, pending the completion of an environmental impact assessment. The freeze followed objections from Israel’s Ministry of Health and Ministry of Environmental Protection, which warned that the area suffers from severe air pollution due to nearby industrial facilities, making it one of the most environmentally hazardous zones in Israel.

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Government discussions resumed around a year and a half ago, during which officials requested a comprehensive environmental review. The findings of that assessment are expected to be presented at Wednesday’s meeting.

If approved, Akerot would become the first major new settlement built in occupied Jerusalem since the establishment of Har Homa on Jabal Abu Ghneim in the 1990s.

The planned settlement would be located adjacent to the separation barrier and close to the Atarot industrial zone, linking it to the Qalandiya checkpoint, the town of Qalandiya, and Kafr Aqab, which lies beyond the wall.

The move is expected to draw criticism amid ongoing international opposition to Israeli settlement expansion in occupied Palestinian territory, which is considered illegal under international law.

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