Jerusalem Light Rail Stations Installed on Bar Ilan Street Amid Ongoing Protests
Translated & summarized from Kikar HaShabbat by baba
New light rail stations were installed on Jerusalem's Bar Ilan Street on Tuesday, advancing the Green Line project after years of protests and hundreds of millions in damages. Extremist opponents vow their struggle against the light rail passing through Haredi neighborhoods will continue. The 20-kilometer Green Line aims to connect Mount Scopus to Gilo, serving hundreds of thousands daily.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- New light rail stations were installed on Jerusalem's Bar Ilan Street on Tuesday.
- Years of protests and vandalism have caused hundreds of millions of shekels in damages.
- Extremist opponents vow their struggle against the light rail passing through Haredi neighborhoods will continue.
- The Green Line project aims to connect Mount Scopus to Gilo, spanning 20 kilometers.
- The project has faced significant delays and financial setbacks due to the opposition.
New light rail stations were installed on Bar Ilan Street in Jerusalem on Tuesday, marking a significant step forward for the Green Line project after years of intense conflict, protests, and vandalism. Despite the physical progress, extremist elements within the Haredi community have vowed that their opposition to the light rail passing through their neighborhoods will continue, stating the struggle is not over.
The construction of the Green Line on Bar Ilan Street has been a focal point of severe clashes between authorities and radical groups in Jerusalem who object to the route through the heart of Haredi neighborhoods. These confrontations have repeatedly escalated into violent demonstrations, causing extensive damage to infrastructure, equipment, and work sites. The economic toll has reached hundreds of millions of shekels, with reports indicating the state has had to allocate substantial funds to repair damages and secure work areas. By July, cumulative damages were estimated at approximately 600 million shekels, and the project faced a two-year delay due to infrastructure damage.
Nevertheless, construction persists, and the installation of the stations signifies further advancement. The Green Line, planned to be about 20 kilometers long, is intended to connect Mount Scopus in the north of the city to Gilo in the south, eventually serving hundreds of thousands of passengers daily.
However, the extremist opponents remain defiant. Even with the stations now in place, they maintain that their fight is far from over and they will not permit the light rail to operate on Bar Ilan Street.