PM considers canceling residency of 80,000 East Jerusalem Palestinians

Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu recently raised the possibility of canceling the residency status of the 80,000 Palestinians living in East Jerusalem neighborhoods on the other side of the separation wall, Yediot Aharanot newspaper reported.

Netanyahu brought up the need to address the situation in East Jerusalem's neighborhoods beyond the wall during a cabinet meeting that took place two weeks ago.

"There is no enforcement there, no law," Netanyahu said. "We need to examine the possibility of canceling their residency. There needs to be a discussion about it."

The prime minister also raised the need to examine how law enforcement and security can be improved in these neighborhoods through the deployment of extra police and army units.

The neighborhoods in question are within Jerusalem's municipal boundaries but lie outside the wall and are considered extremely problematic from a security perspective.

However, since there has been no further discussion of the issue it is not yet certain whether this is a serious plan.

Netanyahu's proposal drew responses from a number of ministers, who were surprised to hear him talk of disengagement.

MK Israel Katz had originally raised the topic of the neighborhoods beyond the wall, saying that the area had been abandoned. In response, Netanyahu suggested the possibility of preventing entry to the rest of Jerusalem from those areas.

"That is a far-reaching decision which requires a referendum, because it would involve giving up territory," Katz remarked in response to Netanyahu

Source: MENA