Jamil lives in the beautiful village of al-Walaja, just a 20 minute drive from southwest Jerusalem. His home, along with approximately 60 other homes in the village, is under a demolition order by the state of Israel. With the assistance of grassroots Israeli activists and NGOs, Walaja has rolled up its sleeves and taken the costly task upon itself to prepare a zoning plan with the hope of legalizing existing structures in the village and allowing families like Jamil’s to expand and grow. In
March, the Israeli Supreme Court and the State indicated their approval for the village to begin planning, and as requested, seven months later the village reported on their progress. In light of the great progress the village has made toward the preparation of a plan, in late November the State has agreed to allow the village additional time for continued planning, after which Walaja will report again on its progress.
While getting cooperation of the State for a plan is a victory in and of itself, but there is a key piece that needs to be addressed: FUNDING. The process of getting a zoning plan approved takes several years and requires the labor of dozens of planning professionals; all in all, the process will total close to a million shekels ($300,000). For the current stage of planning, we aim to raise $100,000 total, with the help of donors who will match every dollar raised. We at Ameinu have been collecting funds to be paid directly to the firm that is carrying out the planning process on behalf of the Village Residents Association. Your donation will help ensure that Jamil and hundreds of other children in Walaja will be able to continue building a future.
