Few would doubt that the United States is Israel’s closest friend and ally, but that should not entitle its diplomatic representatives to considerations that are not afforded to diplomats of other countries.
It has been mentioned before that American ambassadors do not have to wait around for weeks and sometimes months to present their credentials to the president of the state. They do so within the first two weeks of their arrival in Israel – sometimes within the first two days. It’s not nice for them to receive such preferential treatment – but okay, it’s not a really big deal.
What is a big deal is the attitude toward security. On Thursday of last week, Jerusalem-headquartered United Hatzalah hosted a gala dinner in honor of the new US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee. The event was held at the Museum of Tolerance, directly opposite the Friends of Zion Museum, where a slightly smaller but equally enthusiastic welcome tribute was held for Huckabee this week. Long before he was due to arrive, scores of police officers stood on the traffic island between the two buildings.
Other diplomats don’t get that kind of protection, nor for that matter do Israel’s president or prime minister. Why should any US ambassador be the exception to the rule?
■ THE MIKE HUCKABEE festival is far from over. The US ambassador is being feted left, right, and center by diverse organizations and individuals. At this week’s major event at the Friends of Zion media center, he was more at home than anywhere else, surrounded by internationally known evangelical figures, such as Friends of Zion (FOZ) founder Mike Evans, who extolled Huckabee’s talents and his virtues. The event was broadcast to some 250 million viewers around the world, including US President Donald Trump. Present among live attendees at FOZ were released hostages and some of the families of hostages.
■ NOTWITHSTANDING LOW birth rates in many countries, urban renewal is becoming a global phenomenon.
In many places, it means tearing down the old to build the new, whereas in others, property developers are satisfied with building between two to five floor additions on the rooftops of existing buildings, and sprucing up the appearance of the whole building while completing the project. The noise and the dust may be uncomfortable, but if they so desire, people can stay in their apartments, and the apartment owners will be financially rewarded for selling the air space on top of the original building.
But not all developers are willing to compromise to that extent – certainly not in Jerusalem, where evacuate-and-build projects (pinui u’binui in Hebrew) are more numerous than anywhere else in the country.
According to reports in the Hebrew media, Jerusalem tops all other cities in the number of evacuate-and-build initiatives. Not all the proposed projects are approved; but even so, 61 were approved last year that will result in 2,788 residential units being demolished and replaced by 12,685 new ones.
As things stand, the traffic situation in Jerusalem is chaotic. Imagine what it will be like when there are thousands of more cars on the roads. And it’s not just within Jerusalem: Intercity highways are becoming a maze of underpass and overpass bridges which mar the natural beauty of any area.
Within Jerusalem itself, streets in various neighborhoods are being closed while work begins on light rail infrastructure. This means that bus routes are diverted, but there is insufficient public notice to that effect, causing frustration and discomfort to thousands of Jerusalemites.
■ ALL EFFORTS to prevent the light rail from running through Emek Refaim have failed. After years of protests and negotiations, work has begun, and some business enterprises have already relocated for fear of losing clientele during the construction process.
At the Ginot Ha’Ir Community Center on Emek Refaim Street, urban planner and architect Elias Messinas, who is a mine of information, is willing to tell residents about upcoming changes in the German Colony and adjacent neighborhoods. He can be contacted at elias@ginothair.org. Better still, he runs the center’s urban forum which meets once every two weeks, to receive updates on imminent changes in the area, such as new buildings, urban renewal, preservation, road renovations, the light rail, and traffic light installations.
■ WITHOUT ANY intention of creating a scare, it appears that the old train track neighborhoods are not quite as safe as they used to be. A neighborhood watch has been established with local residents patrolling the park to ensure and increase security. Anyone wanting to join these patrols should contact Yaron at 050-506-4524.
■ GETTING BACK to urban renewal, Jerusalem will host a national urban renewal conference on May 19-20 at the Orient Hotel. The date coincides with the annual Jerusalem Post conference in New York, where Mayor Moshe Lion has been listed among the speakers. He’s going to have a tough decision to make.
Alternatively, he can speak to one conference in person and the other via video.
■ THE DATE also coincides with the 17th plenary of the World Jewish Congress, which delegates from more than 100 countries are expected to attend. But that may depend on which international airline services are working or which owners of private planes are willing to take passengers from neighboring countries in Europe.
■ Meanwhile, the recent attacks by the Houthis have resulted in many Israelis being stranded abroad; and those who wanted to fly out of Israel on foreign airlines have found their flights canceled – and in some cases, they may not get full refunds on their fares.
Among the people attending the urban renewal conference will be ministers, mayors, deputy mayors, municipal CEOs, lawyers, property developers, urban planners, and more.