East Jerusalem Development Plan Stalled Amid Budget Cuts and Delays

A five-year plan for East Jerusalem, approved in August 2023 with an initial budget of 3.2 billion shekels, has seen significant portions unimplemented due to budget cuts and administrative delays. The plan, intended to run from 2024 to 2028, has had its funding reduced to approximately 2 billion shekels due to the war and broader government budget reductions.

Research by the Ir Amim organization indicates that oversight committees, including the main steering committee, failed to convene for the first two years of the plan's implementation. The Jerusalem Affairs Ministry acknowledged that a "Hebrew for Employment" component for East Jerusalem residents was not realized, with funds being reallocated to other priorities.

Despite allocated budgets, East Jerusalem still faces a deficit of around 1,400 classrooms. Furthermore, new public buildings were not constructed as planned, with funds diverted to existing projects from a previous five-year plan. Out of seven planned parks, only one, the UN Garden, has been established. The Jerusalem Municipality stated it received only 13.5 million shekels for public buildings and spaces, far less than the 42.5 million allocated for public buildings alone in the plan.

Plans to build approximately 2,000 housing units annually, including through urban renewal, have not materialized, with no new housing units reported as built for East Jerusalem residents. Gal Yanovsky, a researcher at Ir Amim, criticized the plan's execution, stating the budget is no longer unprecedented and that the ministry responsible for its management has even moved funds for unrelated purposes.

The Jerusalem Affairs Ministry countered that the plan is being actively advanced, with work continuing on education, infrastructure, and transportation projects despite the war necessitating budget adjustments. They stated the steering committee, though not meeting during the war's initial phase, is now convening regularly. The Jerusalem Municipality added that it invests its own funds in public infrastructure and spaces and will advance government-funded projects upon receiving additional budgets. The Ministry of Housing and the Urban Renewal Authority did not provide a response.