Author: Karapetian Hovik

RUSSIAN FM TO PERSUADE ARMENIANS TO WITHDRAW FROM AZERBAIJANI LANDS, ANALYST

news.az
Jan 13 2010
Azerbaijan

Sergey Lavrov Russian FM to visit Yerevan to persuade Armenians to
withdraw from Azerbaijani lands, Rasim Musabeyov said.

Russian FM Sergey Lavrov’s visit to Yerevan is aimed at persuading
Armenians about the need to withdraw from the Azerbaijani lands,
considers political scientist Rasim Musabeyov.

"The conflict settlement has entered a stage when it is already
necessary to take decisions. Much efforts have been spared to reconcile
the conflict parties but Armenia continues hampering the process",
he told commenting on the upcoming visit of Lavrov to Armenia on
January 13-14.

According to Musabeyov, Russia will try to persuade Armenia of the
need for the soonest withdrawal from the occupied lands of Azerbaijan
and the recent invitation to the Armenian president to visit Moscow
should be viewed in this sense.

"But this time Lavrov will have to persuade not only the president and
the foreign minister of Armenia but also those people in the Armenian
society that are against the resolution of the conflict", he said.

The Azerbaijani expert considers that Russia is interested in the
resolution of the Karabakh conflict and its recent intensification in
efforts to attain reconciliation between Baku and Yerevan is connected
with that. "Russia has its stimulus. For example, if the conflict is
not settled, the regional communications will remain closed, including
Russia’s access to Armenia via Azerbaijan. Moreover, in case of war,
Russia will have to choose between the conflict parties, which it
does not want to do. In addition, everyone is aware that it is already
time to release the occupied Azerbaijani lands", Musabeyov said.

The political scientist noted that the intensification of the
comprehensive Azerbaijani-Russian interaction plays not the last role
in the recent peacekeeping activity of Russia.

INNOVATION POLICY IS THE DRIVING FORCE OF AMERIABANK’S DEVELOPMENT

ARKA
12/01/2010 17:06

Interview of Arthur Hambardzumian, head of Ameriabank’s Innovation
and Quality Department, to ARKA news agency

ARKA: Some of Armenian banks offer Internet banking services to their
clients. What has made Ameriabank offer this service too?

Arthur Hambardzumian – There are two major factors that have made us
introduce on-line banking technologies, including Internet banking.

One is the quick development of information technologies and Internet’s
penetration into new areas of banking activity, forcing them to work
harder in order to comply with the spirit of the time and provide their
clients with new tools to manage their bank accounts from any corner of
the world. The second factor is that Internet banking helps our clients
to reduce significantly their transport and other expenses, saving them
also from visiting their banks. Internet banking reduces concurrently
the primary cost of many banking products, as a result banks have to
reduce the cost of their service as they do not need larger personnel
to provide the so-called classical banking services. In the long run,
banks benefit from introduction of innovation technologies and so do
their clients.

Regarding Ameriabank, our strategy is to offer our clients a
comprehensive package of services, including distance services,
such as Internet banking.

ARKA: – Could you specify the content of Internet banking services?

Arthur Hambardzumian – The priority task is to shift from the so-called
classical way of offering main banking services to distance services,
which allow customers to manage their accounts without visiting
banks. Online banking system enables our customers to receive
information about the balance on their bank account and its movement,
make local and international remittances, convert foreign currencies,
pay utility fees, credit interests, receive information about deposits
and bank cards as well as send and receive protected messages,
get information about currency exchange rates and other concomitant
information. Having in mind that Internet banking is a new service
in Armenia we are collecting all the offers and proposals of our
clients to have them in mind while upgrading and revising Internet
banking in order to ensure a most convenient and effective service
to our clients via Internet.

ARKA: What are the main advantages of Internet banking and whether
this system is well protected?

Arthur Hambardzumian – As I have said above, Internet banking is a new
technology at the Armenian market and our customers are just getting
used to it. This makes security issues a priority. To ensure safe
authentication and identification we use the so-called token devices
generating one time keys used by clients to confirm their messages
and transactions. Armenian banks use the tokens devised by Digipass
and VASCO Data Security. On the other hand to ensure confidentiality
and security we use SSL 128 bit key encoding system which is the
most protected version of information exchange system. Besides,
the web browsers used to offer Internet banking services have been
certified by VeriSign. Ameriabank has undertaken all possible measures
to protect its clients and the bank against unsanctioned access and
other threats. The system is safe and reliable.

Another important aspect of our activity is the price policy allowing
the clients to choose one of several options. For example, if an
individual client wants to receive only information without performing
transactions, i.e. to view only his accounts, to get information
about the deposits and balances, the service is free. For clients
wishing to perform transactions via Internet banking system, there are
competitive prices. We are planning to develop privileged prices for
all major banking operations performed via Intenret, which we think
will become another factor to prompt expansion of Internet banking.

ARKA: When was this service introduced and did it help Ameriabank
attract new customers?

Arthur Hambardzumian – The service was introduced in 2009 October,
however, we do not look at it as a main factor that can help us
attract new clients. It is only part of the package of services and
is a technology service rather than a banking service. Therefore, the
system targets in the first place our current customers to provide them
with an opportunity to get higher quality services. The availability
of distance services helps us win new clients. But here we are facing
a common problem -Armenians are quite conservative in what is related
to new banking services preferring classical face-to-face servicing,
which inspires them with confidence that the transaction will be
performed normally and in time. But the statistics shows that the
clients are quite quick to get used to new technologies.

ARKA: What segment of your clients tends to shifting to Internet
banking service?

Arthur Hambardzumian – We offer Internet banking service to both
individual and corporate clients. Most of our corporate clients still
use still usual bank-client system but we are working with them to
help them shift gradually to Internet banking system. I think some
time later all companies will pass to Internet-based technologies.

ARKA: -What kind of new services does Ameribank plan to launch in 2010?

Arthur Hambardzumian – We are completing the preparatory work for
launching a set of new services in early 2010. I would like to
single out structural products, particularly, a structural deposit
that will allow our clients to make profits at financial markets by
making transactions on gold and oil with guaranteed safety of their
investments. Besides, we are planning to introduce cash management
service for holdings, which need to manage their flows and have
consolidated balances on all accounts. We have also completed the
work for development of a service designed for opening and managing
so-called metallic accounts, particularly, on gold. There are, however,
some points that need to be reconciled. Technically, we are ready
but there are still some legislative problems which do not allow us
to work more actively in this direction.

ARKA: Ameriabank positions itself as a structure, which is not only
open to innovations, bit is seeking to take the lead, and challenge
its competitors. Could you cite examples to illustrate this?

Arthur Hambardzumian – There are many examples which confirm our
innovation policy, but we regard innovations in a broader spectrum –
not only as services but also technologies, management systems and a
new approach of how to work with our clients. I would like to mention
insurance of our individual clients’ deposits by Rosgostrakh-Armenia
insurance company, started in early 2009. Ameriabank also launched a
major project last year designed to help develop renewable energy. The
bank also started a small and medium businesses financing project
on very profitable terms. Under this project our clients have
the possibility to have their interest rates cut within the first
three years of maturity period. We also introduced pension schemes,
projects and services for assets management and a full spectrum of
investment-banking services. Regarding new technologies, we introduced
a more effective server and network equipment which allow to ensure a
most efficient and reliable operation. We also introduced CRM system
allowing us to use the most latest achievements and technologies in
organizing our work with clients and improving the quality of our
services. And eventually, we work constantly to improve the management
system in line with ISO 9001:2008, that was certified in April by a
German TUV Rhеil and Group certification.

ARKA: Will Ameriabank keep to its ambitious innovation policy this
year?

Arthur Hambardzumian -Ameriabank will go on with its innovation policy
because innovation is a key factor to our success allowing us to win
steady positions at the market. The bank plans to introduce a number
of new services and technologies in 2010 but our ambitious plans are
sometimes held back by legislative restrictions. However, we hope that
as a result of discussion of our initiatives with regulatory bodies,
appropriate legislative and regulatory acts will be passed to allow
us to quickly implement all our ambitious plans and offer our clients
new services which are not yet accessible at the local market.

ARKA: Is there a big demand for innovation technologies in Armenia?

Arthur Hambardzumian – There are two approaches to innovations in
services sector. The first is that the market itself dictates the need
for emergence of this or that service and the second is that they
and their advantages should be introduced to customers. In our case
both factors are present. In principle, there are well known banking
products, which are in great demand. Our bank has tried to fill in
these niches, particularly, by offering such services as leasing,
factoring which are offered by other banks as well. There are also
services which we need to introduce to our clients, to propagate and
show their advantages. In general, financial literacy of Armenian
citizens and their willingness to use innovation technologies are not
at high level. This is why the banks have to prepare their clients for
new banking products. Innovations are necessary but their introduction
is a complex task because you have to not only .develop a new product
but also the market for it.

NO WARMING IN TURKEY – ISRAEL RELATIONS

Yerkir
12.01.2010 14:40

Yerevan (Yerkir) – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
has accused Israel of violating Lebanese air space and launching
unjustified attacks against Palestinians in Gaza.

Israel "has disproportionate power and it is using that at will
while refusing to abide by UN resolutions. We can never accept this
picture," said Erdogan, in a press conference Monday with his Lebanese
counterpart. "These steps threaten global peace."

In response, the Israeli Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying,
"Israel respects Turkey and is interested in continued normal relations
between the states, but expects the Turkish side to reciprocate with
a similar approach towards Israel."

"PM Erdogan’s words," the Israeli statement added, "must be taken
together with the anti-Israel program currently being broadcast on
Turkish television, as well as other serious anti-Israel sentiments
repeatedly expressed by the Turkish prime minister for more than
a year."

Israel also said it reserves "the right to protect its citizens against
rocket attacks and terrorism by Hamas and Hezbollah" and asserted that
"Turkey is the last country that should preach morality to Israel
and to the Israel Defense Forces."

TALKS WITH LAVROV

A1Plus.am
12/01/10

Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov will visit
Armenia on January 13-14 at the invitation of his Armenian counterpart
Edward Nalbandyan.

The Russian Foreign Minister will meet with President of Armenia
Serzh Sargsyan. Within the framework of the visit, the Ministers of
Foreign Affairs of both countries will hold talks and give a joint
press conference.

According to information from the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
the sides will discuss the bilateral relations, issues in the South
Caucasus, the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as well
as a broad range of issues relating to the cooperation between
Russian and Armenia provinces in the political, military, economic
and humanitarian spheres.

The meeting of Ministers Nalbandyan and Lavrov will be held on January
14 and will be immediately followed by a joint press conference.

GAGIK HARUTYUNYAN EXPRESSED HIS VIEW IN ADVANCE

A1Plus.am
12/01/10

Deputy of the "Heritage" faction Zaruhi Postanjyan has no doubt that
the Constitutional Court will recognize the Turkey-Armenia Protocols
as constitutional.

"President of the Constitutional Court Gagik Harutyunyan expressed his
viewpoint on the Protocols by joining Serzh Sargsyan on his Diaspora
tour," Postanjyan told "A1+" today.

Policemen became more active when they saw Postanjyan appear at the
Constitutional Court building. "You are violating the order, leave
the sidewalk," the police said and prohibited Zaruhi Postanjyan
from placing the table that she had brought with her where the ARF
representatives were standing.

Postanjyan didn’t pay attention to the policemen, placed her table
and started the symbolic ceremony of burning the Protocols. Before
doing so, she read the statement addressed to members of the CC:
"We have not forgotten about your working style of the mid-190s,
but we declare that we are demanding, united as one and we will not
put up with that working style anymore. Don’t dare to legalize the
Turkey-Armenia Protocols that came to life overnight."

Some ARF members applauded Mrs. Postanjyan and joined the symbolic
ceremony of burning the Turkey-Armenia Protocols.

"Even if the CC recognizes these Protocols as constitutional, it will
still be subject to debate because CC President Gagik Harutyunyan
has expressed his view on the Protocols in advance," said Postanjyan.

The representatives of "Heritage" and a number of NGOs left after
the symbolic burning of the Turkey-Armenia Protocols.

NOT TIME FOR SARGSYAN TO QUIT ARMENIA’S POLITICAL ARENA
Leyla Tagiyeva

news.az
Jan 11 2010
Azerbaijan

Fikret Sadikhov News.az interviews Fikret Sadikhov, Azerbaijani
political scientist.

The opposition in Armenia has started protests against working powers.

How can you feature the situation in this country?

Armenia has long been in a complicated deadlocked situation. Along
with the economic, it is also in a political deadlock connected with
the Zurich protocols. When signing protocols with Turkey Armenia
hoped for painless opening of borders and establishment of diplomatic
relations with this country and thus Yerevan hoped to get additional
trumps in negotiations with Azerbaijan. But it failed in that.

Therefore, quite a stiff reaction of official Baku and Azerbaijani
community influenced Ankara’s course which is proven by Turkish Prime
Minister Erdogan’s visit to Washington where he said in open that it
would be very difficult to ratify the protocols signed with Armenia
without respect to Azerbaijan’s interest. This was quite an open
and clear statement. It is clear that Armenia could not treat this
positively. Therefore, the opposition that has long been searching
grounds to overthrow Sargsyan has launched the next stage of its
protests. The Armenian authorities would like to open borders with
Turkey, get some additional preferences and preserve the occupied
Azerbaijan lands protracting the Karabakh conflict settlement. But
it failed in this matter.

How do you assess chances of Armenian opposition to overthrow the
working powers?

It is now wrong to say that the authorities will change and Sargsyan
will be overthrown there in the nearest future. These are early
forecasts that would hardly justify themselves. But the reality is
that in fact the Armenian authorities are losing their influence.

Every attempt to attain some trumps in foreign policy, every signed
document and every step is viewed by opposition as a demonstration
of anti-Armenian step and betrayal of national interests. Anyway,
if Ter-Petrosyan is a figure that is supported by the West and this
is initiated by some definite external powers, the current chances of
opposition to overthrow Sargsyan are low. It means that Sargsyan has
not yet fulfilled the tasks set before him. Only when he fulfills all
the plans on the South Caucasus, I think it would be time for him to
quit in favor of other figures.

Which tasks and plans connected with Sargsyan do you mean?

We have witnessed signing of the Zurich protocols and saw the figures
backing those who signed these protocols. These are Americans, Russians
and Europeans that is the superpowers, the leading countries which
are interested in this. Each of them has its own interest. But on
the whole, all of them were interested in signing these protocols.

Americans are interested in releasing Armenia from Russia’s
influence to certain extent; Russia’s interest is to restrict West’s
influence by means of Turkey because we have recently seen the active
Turkish-Russian rapprochement. The upcoming visit of Premier Erdogan
to Russia also proves this. It is clear that it would be very difficult
to change powers in Turkey as it is an independent state.

Armenia is another matter. It is a controlled state whose leader is
set a task to sign documents, open borders, restore relations with
Turkey after which he would be unnecessary and could be replaced.

Do you think the protests of Armenian opposition will influence the
further policy of the authorities?

Any oppositional action, certainly, influences the adoption of some
decisions by the authorities. Everything will depend on the slogans to
be used by opposition. It has many reasons for outrage. But I do not
predict the real replacement of Sargsyan with Ter-Petrosyan and other
oppositional powers in the nearest future. It means that the grounds
possibly leading the opposition to the streets are important for it.

The stimulus that may lead people to the streets to protest against
the working powers are important. The working authorities have led
Armenia to a deadlock which means that on the one hand it does not
settle the political problem with Azerbaijan and on the other hand
it does not settle any of the problems inside Armenia. Naturally,
sooner or later, if this continues, Sargsyan will have to quit.

Can the oppositional protest in Armenia have any influence on the
negotiation protest on Karabakh?

Armenians are so monolithic in this issue that nothing changes in
priorities regarding the Karabakh conflict there with changes in
political powers. There can be some changes in tactics. This is rather
the matter of external powers that will influence the decision making.

I mean the leading superpowers. No matter who is leading Armenia,
he will implement those ideas and those plans that will be dictated
by the superpowers. This is important. The fact that the second
half of 2009 to a certain extent worked in Azerbaijan’s favor and,
according to our politicians and analysts, there has been a certain
positive dynamics gives hopes to think that regardless of changes in
political powers in Armenia, Yerevan will still be obliged to take
some steps to withdraw a part of Azerbaijan’s occupied lands before
the definition of Karabakh’s status.

ARMENIANS SAVED ABDUL HAMID’S GRANDSON AND HIS FAMILY: HURRIYET

News.am
l
Jan 11 2010
Armenia

"Our family `owed their lives’ to French-Armenians after their exile
from Turkey. We were penniless. Our Armenian friends helped us. There
was an Armenian lady who welcomed us to her chateau and we lived there
for a long time. I cannot deny the good deeds Armenians have done for
my family," Beyzade Balent Osman, grandson of Ottoman Sultan Abdul
Hamid II stated in the interview with Turkish Hurriyet Daily.

After Young Turks suppressed counter-revolution on April 27, 1909 Abdul
Hamid was dethroned and arrested. He was conveyed into captivity in
Salonika till 1912, then returned to Constantinople, where he died
in the prison. The members of Ottoman dynasty were deported from
the country.

"I am on the side of the truth, but we need to look to the future now.

The French and the Germans had also slaughtered each other, came into
conflict but still managed to establish dialogue," the daily quotes
Osman’s words.

"I witnessed his grandmother crying many times when he was a child.

They thought Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (the founder of First Republic of
Turkey-NEWS.am’s note) would be unsuccessful in his cause and that
we would return to the old days. My grandmother and mother wanted us
to learn Turkish. My father, however, was a republican by all means
and was supportive of Ataturk’s principles," the source cites Osman.

In 1894-1896 massacres of Christian population, firstly Armenians
were perpetrated in Eastern Anatolia and other places of Ottoman
Empire by direct order of Sultan Abdul Hamid II.

RUSSIAN POLITICIAN SAYS RUSSIA SHOULD DECLARE NKR’S INDEPENDENCE

Panorama.am
15:45 11/01/2010

If Nagorno-Karabakh Republic declared its independence, Russia
should follow them and declare NKR-s independence also, famous
Russian politician and vice spokesman of Russian State Duma
Vladimir Jirinovski told Latish paper "Neatkarigas Rita Avize". "If
Nagorno-Karabakh declares its independence, I think, Russia should
also recognize it. I’m not against either the Armenians or the
Azerbaijani, but they’ll never come to one single decision over NKR
issue. The same happens with Georgians and Abkhaz people and the
Arab people with Jewish. The Kurds and the Turkish will never reach
one decision either," Russian politician said. It’s worth reminding
that Nagorno-Karabakh declared its independence in 90th of previous
century. NKR declared its independence in 2 September, 1991.

news.am, Armenia
Jan 8 2010

Azerbaijan `cage bird’ for OSCE Minsk Group

17:34 / 01/08/2010The Azerbaijani authorities are once more trying to
deceive both the international community and the Azerbaijani people.
In addition to the sensational story about the resolution on peoples’
self-determination approved by the U.N. General Assembly late last
year, the News.az website published one more provocative article,
which allegedly deals with a message about the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict addressed to the U.N. General Assembly by Azerbaijani
Permanent Representative at the U.N. Akshin Mehtiyev.

This propaganda statement is not an appeal to the U.N., but actually a
protest against the accusations against the Azerbaijani authorities
brought by the Armenian Ambassador and other officials at U.N.
agencies in New York.

Let us consider the `informative’ part of the letter, which allegedly
deals with historical facts. It is a waste of time, self-deception.
The letter was obviously aimed at distorting the history and
development of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. But, leaving the
contents of the letter to historians and diplomats, we would like to
address the main point. The main point is that the Azerbaijani
propaganda is trying to get the Nagorno-Karabakh problem put on the
U.N. agenda and, supported by a number of states, have resolutions
adopted to boast about `the great achievements’ of Baku School of
Diplomacy.

After announcing the failure of the OSCE Minsk Group for the
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, official Baku, with its
potential in this field totally exhausted, is trying to raise the
issue at the U.N. Later, the list may include NATO, Council of Europe
and so on. It is high time for the Azeri authorities to realize that
the Nagorno-Karabakh problem cannot be resolved at the U.N. or any
other organization that is not entitled to deal with the problem.

To resolve the conflict, the conflicting parties, first of all
Azerbaijan, have to show political will to implement the agreements
reached as a result of negotiations within the OSCE Minsk Group and,
which is most important, to ensure Nagorno-Karabakh’s participation in
the negotiations.

T.P.

Americans for Peace Now
Jan 7 2010

Jerusalem Blitz (latest news and analysis)

By Lara Friedman on January 7, 2010 3:21 PM | No Comments
Special report from Daniel Seidemann and Lara Friedman

As more reports of new settler activities and settler plans in East
Jerusalem accumulate now on an almost daily basis, it is becoming
clear that we are in the middle of a Jerusalem settlement blitz.

This blitz is part real and part hype. The motivation behind the
blitz is clear: fear that the peace process will take root. The goal
of the blitz is also clear: to prevent this from happening.

The good news here is that the nature of this blitz – consisting of a
combination of relatively obscure, small projects and projects that
are unlikely to actually be implemented – demonstrates how few cards
the settlers and their supporters have to play in Jerusalem.

The bad news is that every report of new provocative plans in
Jerusalem – even reports that are mostly hot air – represents a very
real and tangible blow to the effort to re-launch the peace effort.
As such, the Obama Administration and the international community
cannot let the Israeli government off the hook in Jerusalem – even as
the Israeli government will try to disclaim responsibility, assert
that it has no authority, and will try to downplay the importance of
these Jerusalem provocations. Jerusalem is the first and best test of
how serious the Netanyahu government and the international community
are about peace.

More details on Beit Orot project: A few days ago a new settlement
project on the Mt. Olives, adjacent to the Beit Orot yeshiva, came to
light. It has now been determined that the site in question belonged
originally to the Armenian Church. About 15 years ago a rogue
Armenian Patriarch sold the property to Irving Moskowitz, going into
hiding with the proceeds. The site is located adjacent to the
existing Beit Orot compound, nestled between the Lutheran World
Federation offices and the Papal Nuncio. While the land is owned by
Moskowitz, the project developer has been determined to be Elad (the
settler NGO focused on the Silwan but now branching out to the rest of
the Old City’s Historic Basin). While these details have not yet made
it into the English-language press, they have made the German-language
press (google translate does a great job with this page).

NEW CONTROVERSY – the Seven Arches Hotel: It is being reported in the
Hebrew-language press today that the Seven Arches Hotel (aka the
Intercontinental) was sold to the settlers, who in turn plan to hand
it over to the IDF to be used as a military academy. The report has
not yet made it into the English language press, but was picked up by
the same German-language press report.

This report has not been confirmed and is likely inaccurate – the sale
of this property (which legally is absentee Jordanian government
property) would create a major confrontation between Israel and
Jordan. Moreover, legally any such sale would have to be subject to a
public announcement/bidding process.

Nonetheless, the reports should set off serious alarm bells: it has
been known for some time that the Jerusalem settler have coveted this
property – located at the edge of the Mount of Olive and overlooking
the Old City. Indeed, for some time settlers have been increasingly
using the hotel as a favorite site for public events and to house
visitors, and it is featured prominently on one of the Elad websites
(as the first of a series of "panorama" sites on the Mount of Olives).

The fact that the reports refer to a plan for the settlers to be
granted ownership of the property in a deal that would grant
immediate-term use of the site to the IDF should also set off alarms.
As part of their ongoing – and generally successful – effort to use
ideologically-driven "tourism" to make their highly controversial
goals part of a new pseudo-consensus, they are already giving tours of
Silwan/City of David/Mount of Olives to upwards of 45,000 Israeli
soldiers and officers (as part of a policy viewed by many as
problematic, if not illegal). Thus, even if the report proves
inaccurate, it discloses very real settler aspirations regarding the
hotel and its environs: to take control of a key property at a
strategically sensitive site, to extend their ersatz-Biblical hegemony
over the public domain in its environs by means of fundamentalist
tourism, while receiving the legitimacy bestowed by the association
with the IDF.

NEW CONTROVERSY – Shuafat: It is being widely reported in Israel that
the municipality has approved the establishment of a new settlement
(50 residential units) in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Shuafat.
The facts of this story are the following: First, there is no "news"
right now, other than the fact that the protagonists in this affair
have selected this moment in time to go public with their plans. The
story is really about something that happened in March 2009, when the
Municipality approved 20-30 town plans for East Jerusalem. It appears
that one of these town plans included an area where there is
Jewish-owned land that well-known settler provocateurs – associated
with the right-wing settler organizations of East Jerusalem – want to
develop for Jewish housing in the heart of Shuafat.

There appears to be no reason to assume that the approval of the town
plans in March was a covert initiative to approve right wing settler
schemes in Shuafat. However, assuming ownership of the land is not
at issue, the settlers’ right to try to develop the land according to
the town plan is not at issue, either.

Without in anyway underplaying how problematic this story is – and the
settlers are doing everything they can to make as much noise as
possible and to make this plan appear as grandiose as possible – it
should be recognized that the plan is likely to fail. Jerusalem
settlements that succeed (in the sense of getting Jews to move into
Palestinian areas) fall into two categories: major government-backed
settlements (Gilo, Neve Yaacov, etc) and messianic settlements at
sites that have clear religious resonance (Silwan, Sheikh Jarrah, Ras
al Amud). Private sector efforts to develop non-ideological
settlements in East Jerusalem (like Nof Zion, which boasts beautiful
views of the Old City) have fallen flat. Similarly,
ideologically-motivated efforts to establish settlements in locations
that do not have religious/messianic resonance (As-Sawahra, the
outskirts of Gilo) have likewise failed. With the Shuafat plan, you
have a private initiative that has no economic potential –
non-ideologically motivated Israeli Jews are not going to move to the
middle of Shuafat even for cheap housing – and you have a site that
has no religious/messianic resonance to attract
ideologically-motivated settlers.

litz