AS PEACE FORUM LOOMS, SURVEILLANCE ALSO LOOMS OVER JERUSALEM

16 May 2023

by Jake and Desired_f0ps

A camera on the corner in the Old City, the location marked in Hebrew, Arabic, and English.

The past weeks in the holy land have been fraught with conflict, murder, and rocket fire, at no positive political gain and the negative cost of lives and damage to shared holy places and history. However, there is a glimmer of hope in the form of the second Negev Forum. This year's peace summit between Israel and its Arab nations may include even more states than the previous, including Jordan, which is significant because the Kingdom of Jordan hosts a great deal of the Palestinian diaspora and has a leading role in the Dome of the Rock's management in Jerusalem. Egypt, Bahrain, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates may also attend, contribting further to the regional agreements begun by the Camp David and Abraham Accords. The forum may be renamed to appear more nuetral, but there is hope deeper level engagement will bear fruit.

However, regional stability and talks between leaders does not translate to conditions on the ground. Palestinians in the disputed East Jerusalem are still targeted by the pervasive force of surveillance. Surveillance has become a major concern in Jerusalem, as the city is one of the most contested in the world. The Israeli government has implemented a comprehensive surveillance system in the city, which includes cameras, facial recognition technology, and other monitoring tools. The system is used to monitor the movements and activities of both Israeli and Palestinian residents, as well as visitors to the city. While the Israeli government claims that the surveillance is necessary for security reasons, many human rights organizations have raised concerns about violations of privacy and the potential for abuse.

One nonprofit that is working to address the issue of surveillance in Jerusalem is the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI). ACRI actively advocates for the protection of privacy and civil liberties in the city, and works to raise awareness about the dangers of unchecked surveillance. The organization has also pushed for greater transparency and accountability in the use of surveillance technologies, and has been calling for stronger legal protections for individuals' right to privacy.

While some argue that the surveillance is necessary for security reasons, others argue that it represents a violation of basic human rights. As leaders discuss peace, their policies undermine the trust and security that will be necessary to see that peace carried out.

Thank you all for reading and to my guest co-writer Desired_f0ps!