עברית | العربية

Israeli Demolition Orders for Palestinians in West Bank’s Area C Hit Five-year Record

Haaretz, December 7, 2021 “Architect Alon Cohen-Lifshitz of Bimkom told Haaretz that some of the plans currently being advanced are either outdated or don’t fit the current needs of the Palestinian residents, because they were first submitted with the Civil Administration nearly a decade ago. ‘The information paints a grim picture of severe discrimination,’ he … read more

After green-lighting settlements, Israel advances 1,303 Palestinian units

Times of Israel, November 1, 2021 “This is an important event, which cannot be ignored. Nonetheless, it does not substantially change a reality in which hundreds of villages are not recognized,” said Cohen-Lifshitz, who works at the left-wing nonprofit Bimkom, which advocates for equality in urban planning. Read the full article here.

Attorney, NGOs boycott E1 hearing over lack of access for Palestinians

Jerusalem Post, October 4, 2021 “Alon Cohen-Lifshitz of the left-wing Israeli NGO Bimkom, said that the Civil Administration could not decide to allow {Palestinians} to physically attend the meeting and then shift its stance at the last second, particularly given the significance the plan has to area Palestinians.” Read the full article here

The Immorality and Inhumanity of Home Demolitions in Jerusalem and the West Bank

Times of Israel, February 10, 2021 “The problem is not that complicated to understand. The main issue is that it is virtually impossible for Palestinians to get permits to build homes in Jerusalem or in the West Bank, especially in area C, which is under full Israeli control, according to the Oslo Accords. This is … read more

As mammoth high-tech hub is eyed for East Jerusalem, will it benefit locals?

The Times of Israel, June 14 2020 “Urban planners say that ‘Silicon Wadi’ project does not answer needs of Wadi Joz residents, must include housing; up to 200 existing Palestinian businesses to be evicted.” Read the article here

Israel Tells West Bank Bedouin: First Sign a Voluntary Eviction, Then We’ll See if the New Location Stinks

First the state wanted them to live next to a garbage dump. Then it told the Jahalin Bedouin they’d be moved near a large sewage-treatment site where human habitation has been forbidden.

THE KHAN AL-AHMAR LITMUS TEST: Bimkom in the media

The Jerusalem Post, Aug 9 2018  “The issue is not just geopolitics, Cohen-Lifshitz said, but also about the state’s recognition that planning for the Bedouin differs from that of other communities.” Read the article from the Jerusalem Post here

After Decades of Darkness, Palestinian Village Gets Power

Haaretz: September 4, 2017 After years of lacking basic infrastructure, the village of Dhaher al-Malah, located in Area C, was finally connected to electricity as the result of a petition filed by Bimkom to the High Court of Justice on behalf of the villagers. Read the article here.

Building Permits in High Demand for Densely Populated West Bank City

The Jerusalem Post: June 22, 2017 Qalqilya has been affected by increasing urban density, as it is exceedingly difficult for Palestinians to build in sections of the city in Area C, and insufficient land to allow for future growth  was placed within the portions of the city under PA control in the Oslo Accords Read … read more

In Highly Irregular Move, Israel Demolishes Palestinian Homes Within Jerusalem Borders

Haaretz: April 6, 2017 East Jerusalem neighborhoods beyond the Separation Barrier have been largely neglected by the municipality yet also less affected by demolitions, making the move to demolish several residences in Al-Zaim all the more unusual. Most of Al-Zaim is located within Area C, although the dividing line is not demarcated, which leaves the … read more