IOA to establish new settlement park in al-Quds

The Israeli  Planning and Building Committee in al-Quds has approved the establishment of a new settlement park at the expense of Walaja village's land in southern al-Quds, Hebrew media sources said.

The boundary of the park will run along the Apartheid Wall, which separates the villagers of Walaja from their farmland, according to Haaretz newspaper.

"The Refaim Valley Park" will cover more than 5,700 dunums, or 1,425 acres, ‏ at the southern exit of al-Quds and will be part of the large urban park to surround al-Quds on three sides.

The Green Line runs through the base of the Refaim Valley, through which the park runs, the newspaper explained.

Haaretz stated that 1,200 dunums of land of the park are terraced farmlands belonging to the villagers of Walaja.

Villagers say the main threat to the ancient culture of terrace agriculture comes from the Apartheid Wall under construction.

An Israeli official said, “changing the character of the area from Palestinian farmland into an Israeli recreational site fits in with the plan to create contiguity between the holy city and the settlements surroundin.