Fifth foreign firm pulls out of controversial Israeli cable car project to East Jerusalem
Rights groups say the planned 1.4km route, which ends at compound run by far-right settler group Elad, will displace Palestinians and reshape the cultural landscape
TL;DR
- A fifth foreign company, ROPES, has declined consultancy work on a cable car project in East Jerusalem.
- The project has seen multiple foreign companies withdraw due to its political sensitivity and location in occupied East Jerusalem.
- Israeli authorities, including the Jerusalem Development Authority (JDA), insist the cable car project is proceeding as planned.
- The 1.4km route is criticized by NGOs like Emek Shaveh for threatening Palestinian homes and heritage, and for consolidating settler control.
- The cable car is planned to connect West Jerusalem to a tourist complex promoted by the settler organization Elad.
- The project involves expropriation notices for land and property rights affecting Palestinian families in the Silwan neighborhood.
- International law considers East Jerusalem occupied territory, and the project has been ruled unlawful by the international court of justice.