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{{otheruses1|the settlement in Jerusalem}} | ||
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| '''Gilo''' ({{lang-he|גילֹה}}) is a neighbourhood in |
'''Gilo''' ({{lang-he|גילֹה}}) is a ] and neighbourhood in ] which was established on land annexed to the municipality after the 1967 ]. As of 2002, 40,000 people reside in the neighborhood, making it one of the largest in the city. Gilo was named after a biblical ] town whose name was preserved by the neighboring ] suburb of ]. | ||
| Some of Gilo's land was owned by Jewish institutions prior to the ], though because the neighborhood is located in territory captured by Israel during the Six-Day War in 1967, it is often considered an ]. In 2001, ] issued a memorandum to its staff stating that "We refer to Gilo as a 'Jewish Neighborhood on the outskirts of Jerusalem'... We don't refer to it as a settlement." This drew criticism from a number of ] as well as some ]s. | Some of Gilo's land was owned by Jewish institutions prior to the ], though because the neighborhood is located in territory captured by Israel during the Six-Day War in 1967, it is often considered an ]. In 2001, ] issued a memorandum to its staff stating that "We refer to Gilo as a 'Jewish Neighborhood on the outskirts of Jerusalem'... We don't refer to it as a settlement." This drew criticism from a number of ] as well as some ]s. | ||
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| == References == | == References == | ||
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Revision as of 08:08, 27 June 2007
31°43′N 35°11′E / 31.717°N 35.183°E / 31.717; 35.183 Gilo (Template:Lang-he) is a Jewish settlement and neighbourhood in East Jerusalem which was established on land annexed to the municipality after the 1967 Six-Day War. As of 2002, 40,000 people reside in the neighborhood, making it one of the largest in the city. Gilo was named after a biblical Judean town whose name was preserved by the neighboring Bethlehem suburb of Beit Jala.
Some of Gilo's land was owned by Jewish institutions prior to the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, though because the neighborhood is located in territory captured by Israel during the Six-Day War in 1967, it is often considered an Israeli settlement. In 2001, CNN issued a memorandum to its staff stating that "We refer to Gilo as a 'Jewish Neighborhood on the outskirts of Jerusalem'... We don't refer to it as a settlement." This drew criticism from a number of Palestinians as well as some media watch groups.
Gilo lies on Slaiyeb mountain in the southwest quadrant of Jerusalem. It is separated from the more urban downtown by a large, forested recreation area. To Gilo's south, a deep gorge lies between it and Beit Jala. The Tunnels Highway to Gush Etzion runs underneath it on the east, and the settlement of Har Gilo, which shares its name, is visible across the gorge on the adjacent peak. North of Gilo are the Jerusalem neighborhoods of Beit Safafa and Manahat.
Shooting incidents
Between 2000-2002, during the course of the al-Aqsa Intifada, over 400 incidences of shooting from Beit Jala into Gilo took place. Though no residents were killed, some were seriously injured and there was much damage to property.
The mostly Palestinian Christian residents of Beit Jala reported that their homes were used against their will by Muslim militant groups, and believed that the strategy was designed to effect a demographic change in the area. They point to the Tanzim militants' choice of Christian Beit Jala to shoot from over other places where they could have similarly targeted Jerusalem, and their specific positioning in or near Christian homes, hotels and churches such as St. Nicholas, as well as institutions like the Greek Orthodox club, and their knowledge that a slight deviation in Israeli return fire would harm the Christian buildings.
Andreas Reinecke, head of the German Liaison office to the Palestinian Authority, protested:
I would like to draw your attention in this letter to a number of incidents which occurred at "Talitakoumi" school in Beit Jala...which is funded mainly by the Protestant Church in Berlin. Over the last few days the school staff noticed attempts on the part of several armed Palestinians to use the school premises and some of its gardens for their activities. If they succeed in doing this, an Israeli reaction will be inevitable. This will have a negative impact on the continuation of the functioning of the school, in which no less than 1,000 Palestinians study....You cannot imagine the kind of upheaval which will be provoked among the supporters of this school should they discover that the school premises are used as a battle ground.
The Israeli Government ultimately bulletproofed the outer row of homes. The shooting on Gilo ceased completely only after Operation Defensive Shield.
See also
References
- Associated Press, as reported in Yoram Ettinger, "The Islamization of Bethlehem by Arafat," Jerusalem Cloakroom #117, Ariel Center for Policy Research, December 25, 2001.
- Letter from Andreas Reinecke to Colonel Jibril Rajoub, Head of the PA Preventive Security Apparatus in the West Bank, May 5, 2002, from IDF Spokesperson, May 12, 2002.