Adalah and the Arab Center for Alternative Planning Demand Cancellation of Regional Plan to Establish “Harish”, a New Jewish Ultra-Orthodox City in the Arab Wadi ‘Ara Area of Israel
- The plan reflects the state's discriminatory planning policies and practices towards Arab citizens of Israel.
- The plan violates basic principles of equality and distributive justice, as set out by the Israeli Supreme Court. It is not objective and it was submitted without the necessary factual and field research, which must involve planning professionals.
- Since the establishment of Israel in 1948, no new Arab town has been created.
(Haifa) On 12 July 2010, Adalah and the Arab Center for Alternative Planning submitted an objection to a special planning and building committee for the establishment of Harish demanding the cancellation of the Harish Regional Plan. This plan is the first phase towards the establishment of a new Jewish ultra-orthodox city to be called “Harish”, with a very large, planned population of 150,000. The objection was filed by Urban and Regional Planners Ania Bana-Jeries and Hanna Hamdan and Adalah Attorney Suhad Bishara.
The new city is to be created in the Wadi 'Ara area, in the Triangle in the center of Israel. This area is currently populated by a large majority of Palestinian Arab citizens of the state. The city is planned to border six Arab towns with a population of over 41,000 residents, and it will actually stretch to the currently constructed areas of four surrounding Arab towns: Kufr Kara, Meiser, Barta'a and Arrara. As a result of the plan, the Arab town of Umm El-Katuf will become an enclave within the planned city of Harish.
The objectors argue that the plan violates basic principles of equality and distributive justice, as set out by the Israeli Supreme Court in past decisions. It is not-objective and it was submitted without the necessary factual and field research, which must involve planning professionals.
The approval and execution of the current plan to establish a city of 150,000 will over-stretch local resources and be detrimental to the natural growth of the surrounding Arab towns. In fact, the plan will prevent any future expansion – of population and/or buildings for residential or economic purposes - of the neighboring Arab towns.
The objectors further argue that the plan reflects the state's discriminatory planning policies and practices towards Arab citizens of Israel living in the Wadi ‘Ara area. While the planning authorities seek to establish a new Jewish ultra-orthodox town, they refuse to recognize and plan Dar El-Hanoun, a small unrecognized Arab village very close to the planned new city in Wadi ‘Ara. Dar El-Hanoun was created prior to the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. The residents of Dar El-Hanoun have worked for over 20 years to gain recognition for their village, without success; in fact, many residents were given demolition orders against their homes. The planning authorities have always refused recognition, claiming that the village is located in an area with a green landscape slated for conservation, which prevents residents from living in Dar El-Hanoun.
