Israel’s housing minister, Uri Ariel, may soon take up residence in one of the most contentious parts of east Jerusalem.
According to Channel 2, Ariel is considering moving to a new residence in Silwan, the predominantly Arab quarter near the Old City which has been the focal point of heightened Israeli-Palestinian tensions in recent days due to the increased Jewish presence there.
The minister has informed the Israel Security Service (Shin Bet) of his possible plans, which would require a security assessment since the agency is responsible for providing bodyguards to senior officials in the Israeli government, Channel 2 reported.
There is concern among defense and security officials who are fearful that Ariel’s plan could further exacerbate tensions in the capital, which has seen an escalation of violence over the course of the past few days.
There are also the diplomatic ramifications that could pose a dilemma for Jerusalem, since the Obama administration criticized the government’s policies of settlement in areas that the Palestinians claim for a future state.
Last month, police and Border Police officers escorted several Jewish families past Arab protesters and into their newly acquired homes in Silwan.
Earlier this week, nine more Jewish families moved into the area.
Prior to the move, which has drawn international condemnation, President Reuven Rivlin criticized such developments carried out under the cloak of night.
“It is our right to insist on building around Jerusalem, but it is our obligation to make sure that the decision is made by the authorities,” Rivlin said. “Our capital cannot be a city in which the building is done in secret, or where moving into apartments is done in the dead of night.”
Daniel Luria, spokesman for Ateret Kohanim, a right-wing organization that works to create a Jewish majority in Arab neighborhoods of east Jerusalem, said his organization helped facilitate the move, adding that the properties had been acquired by a company called Kudram Ltd.
“The buildings were legally and officially acquired from Arabs, who received full and more-than-appropriate payment by an overseas company... that was established by Jewish investors from Israel and around the world,” Luria said in a statement.