Israel continues to confiscate lands from the Dead Sea area, while it announces the construction of hundreds of new settlement housing units in Jerusalem and plans to demolish parts of the old city near the Wailing Wall and the gates of Damascus and Dung. In the meantime, underground tunnel works resume under the old historical city, which according to eyewitnesses takes place at a nearly constant rate. Others assert that excavated areas, thus far, might in fact exceed the area of the old city itself as tunnels creep beyond its walls, through which in a great amount of archaeological discoveries have been made –far beyond what was expected-, all subject to Israel’s own historical interpretation and possible fraud as they relentlessly try to prove the missing historical narrative of the old temple.

This all comes in line with similar Israeli policies above ground, the latest of which being the demand made by the Custodian of State Property to Israeli authorities to name lands where Dead Sea water has receded as state property through its appropriate registration as such, therefore appropriating these lands and its entitlement to Jews only, which could only be made possible through Israel’s racist laws.

The amplified construction and development projects in and around East Jerusalem as well as the accelerating the pace of settlement activities in those parts, all clearly indicate Israel’s intention to exterminate any prospects for the realization of a simple Palestinian dream; that is claiming East Jerusalem as the capital of their anticipated state.

All these Israeli de facto practices can be placed within a comprehensive plan to annex Jerusalem and prevent its extension towards the Jordan Valley from the east to constitute a capital for the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The confiscation of Dead Sea lands would come in the same realm as well. It is worth mentioning that the Palestinian Authority plans to establish a civilian airport in the occupied area of Buqa’a near Nabi Musa located between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea, which accomplished will inevitably be surrounded by settlements. Israel, with no doubt, aims to remain in control of borders and crossings of the Jordan Valley and West Bank in general.

Finally, our expectations for the near future are that Israel will initiate the construction of civilian structures and touristic resorts between the Dead Sea and Jerusalem, thus stamping out the possibility of a free and thriving Jordan Valley spared from the restrictions of occupation. This intention to seize the area between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea has already been preceded by the construction of large hotels, also contributing to the segregation of a Southern West Bank from its Northern counterpart)