The Knesset is set on Monday to vote on the “unified Jerusalem” bill which provides for separating Palestinian neighborhoods from Jerusalem and prohibits relinquishing any part of the city under any future agreement.
The bill filed by the Jewish Home party requires the approval of 80 MKs for any decision to hand over parts of Jerusalem to the Palestinian Authority in the future.
The Ministerial Committee for Legislation ratified the bill several months ago and it was amended later to settle differences of opinion in the government coalition.
Initiated by Israeli ministers Naftali Bennett and Ze’ev Elkin the bill is aimed at preparing for future steps to cut off Palestinian neighborhoods from Jerusalem and establish a new Israeli local council for them. The project mainly targets Kafr Aqab and Shu’fat neighborhoods.
The “unified Jerusalem” bill was set to face a vote earlier but Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had decided to postpone the vote following the US president Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
