A Plan for a New National Park in East Jerusalem is Deposited for Public Review

On November 15^th, plan no. 11092A for the Mount Scopus Slopes National Park was deposited for public review, granting the public 60 days to put forward any objections. The planned park is located between the Palestinian neighborhoods of Isawiyya and A-Tur in East Jerusalem. According to press reports, the Minister of Environment recommended the park after consulting with settler leaders, in opposition to the position of the professional echelon in the Ministry. The planned park does not seam to have any special archeological, historical or of nature significance. The main goal of the planned park, as described by Jerusalem expert Danny Seidemann is “to link between the inner encirclement of the Old City and its visual basin, as designated by the governmental Old City Basin Project, and the outer encirclement in Greater Jerusalem, as disclosed by the E-1 plan between Ma’ale Adumim and East Jerusalem. The new national park will be a bridge, creating forging a geographical link between the Old City basin and E-1.”

The planned park will cut between the Palestinian neighborhoods of Issawiyya and A-Tur and will prevent their potential development.

There are now 60 days for the public to submit objections to the plan, after which the Regional Planning Committee will discuss the objections and will decide whether to approve the plan. After the approval the Minister of Environment will be able to declare the new National Park.