Israelis Organizing Opposition to Palestinian Planned City

Israelis living near where the first planned Palestinian city is being built are organizing opposition to the project. Rawabi will be home to more than 25,000 Palestinians on land that falls under both Palestinian military and civil control. Nevertheless, residents of the post-1967 town of Ateret are not happy with the project and have enlisted the support of right-wing legislators to try and halt its construction based on environmental and security claims. But Basher Masri, whose firm is building Rawabi, has told The Media Line that the industrial park – and indeed, the entire project — will use “green technology.” Not all Israelis oppose the project. The Jewish National Fund, the venerable organization synonymous with the reforestation of the Jewish state, has donated 3,000 trees for a like-effort by Rawabi’s developers.