Photo by Nisreen AlyanJerusalem Day will be marked next Sunday, and the Israeli media will put a spotlight on the city – but what will, once again, remain in the dark? Here’s a hint:
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) invites you to watch the short film “Fated to Poverty?! Policies of Poverty in East Jerusalem” (see preview above), which we will release on YouTube this coming Wednesday. Meet Hanni Alami, Darwish Darwish, Lana Warwar, and Nisreen Alyan, who will present the problems and the solutions offered by activists and civil society advocates working together to build a better future in East Jerusalem.
This is an opportunity to acknowledge the reality of life in East Jerusalem – the outcome of a systematic policy of neglect and harm:
- 78% of the residents live below the poverty line;
- 40% of the students do not finish 12 years of education;
- Approximately 90,000 Jerusalem residents are separated from their city by the barrier;
- Only 15% of the women are part of the work force;
- 1 in 3 Jerusalemites is a Palestinian, yet only 17% of the land is available for them to build their homes.
In conjunction with the release of the film, ACRI will be publishing a report with updated facts and figures relating to East Jerusalem, mapping obstacles in employment for Palestinians in the city, and laying concrete demands for the authorities to better the situation.
In light of this difficult situation, there is much to be done – but we believe that change is possible: Poverty is not fated.
