Israeli police announces plan to increase presence in Palestinian east Jerusalem villages

The Israeli police announced on Tuesday a plan to substantially increase its presence in Palestinian villages in east Jerusalem in the upcoming years.

The plan aims to "change the security and social reality in the area, strengthen the rule of law and create greater access to quality police services for local residents," police spokeswoman Luba Samri said in a statement.

"The complex and unique needs of the city, the human mosaic of its citizens along with the events taking place require reexamination of the police's deployment in the field and of its organizational structure," the police's statement said.

It added that the plan to increase police presence will improve the residents' "quality of life" as it will increase enforcement and deterrence against criminals in various fields.

The new plan is promoted by Jerusalem District Commander Yoram Halevi, who assumed office six months ago. It has received the initial approval of police chief Roni Alsheikh and Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan.

The new plan materialized amid an ongoing wave of violence between Israelis and Palestinians since October, which claimed the lives of 34 Israelis and 220 Palestinians.

East Jerusalem has been one of the points of friction amid the unrest.

Israel occupied east Jerusalem, home to about 300,000 Palestinians, in the 1967 Mideast War, along with the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Golan Heights territories. It annexed east Jerusalem in 1981.

The plan includes five new police stations that would operate in the Palestinian villages of Ras al-Amud, Jabel Mukaber, Silawan, Issawiya and Zur Baher.

The police stations will be situated in buildings which will also house social services, in order to decrease possible friction between local residents and police forces.

The Channel 10 news reported the plan includes the recruitment of 2,000 policemen, and that its cost is estimated at around one billion shekels (300 million U.S. dollars). It is supposed to be implemented within the upcoming four to six years.

Two weeks ago, 700 policemen arrested 52 Palestinians during an overnight enforcement operation in Issawiya and Ras al-Amud. The suspects were charged with various offenses, including rock throwing, public disturbances, and drug and property offenses in the area.

The operation was said by police to be part of its growing efforts to "curb illegal activities" as well as improve infrastructure and services for law-abiding citizens.

Palestinians living in east Jerusalem suffer from poor infrastructure, inadequate services and a major housing shortage.

About 82 percent of Palestinians in east Jerusalem live in poverty, in densely-populated neighborhoods with high crime rates, according to a recent report by the Jerusalem Institute, an Israeli research center. Endit