Despite heavy opposition and negative ramifications for most residents, there seems to be little residents can do to stop construction of the light rail’s Blue Line along Emek Refaim St.
By GREER FAY CASHMANUpdated: JULY 14, 2016 16:13Jerusalem light rail(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Though not a resident of the German Colony, but as someone who frequents the eateries of Emek Refaim Street, I went to what amounted to a protest meeting against the planned Blue Line of the light rail last week at the Ginot Ha’ir community center in response to an invitation by neighborhood activist Anita Kamien.Not for the first time, I was struck by the lack of democracy in Israel – not to mention the lack of professional wisdom in dealing with the municipality or the government.One would have thought that after losing the battle over the construction of a hotel on Emek Refaim, residents would have learned how to improve their strategy for future battles. Perhaps they became complacent because the hotel, now in the final stages of construction, has not really damaged the character of the neighborhood; the original building has been preserved and the hotel built behind it, thereby not imposing itself on Emek Refaim.The light rail is, of course, a different story in that during its construction it will affect the lives of hundreds of business owners, some of whom will go bankrupt because their businesses will be negatively affected for an unknown period of time. Given the pace of development in non-haredi areas of Jerusalem (where massive construction projects generally get completed in record time), it could take up to 10 years.IN THE German Colony and its surroundings, it’s not only business people who will be affected. It will be almost impossible to cross the road during the construction period.Kamien believes that many residents will move out of the neighborhood because living conditions will become intolerable. Real estate values will take a nosedive, and the only people who will profit will be extremely wealthy investors who can afford to wait for the market to recover and will buy up properties at cheap prices. This will suit the municipality very well, given the newly approved regulation to double arnona (property tax) rates on apartments that remain unoccupied.Only a handful of people at the meeting were in favor of the Blue Line project on Emek Refaim; they spoke of the legacy for future generations. But one only has to look at Jaffa Road to realize what that legacy means. A visitor from Tel Aviv inspecting Jaffa Road in its new incarnation said it reminded her of the White City’s Allenby Street, which is famous for low-priced merchandise.In other words, Jaffa Road has, to some, become a bazaar with a face-lift – the Thursday night market with stalls along the length of street contributes greatly to that impression.Many of the business enterprises that were landmarks on Jaffa Road and adjacent Ben-Yehuda Street and King George Avenue no longer exist, and premises change hands all too frequently. This appears to be the future of Emek Refaim, if Mayor Nir Barkat has his way – and past history has shown that despite his charming smile, Barkat has the ability to ride roughshod over almost anyone who opposes him (although he appears to have listened to reason regarding opposition to a construction project in the Old City). More often than not, he ignores the wishes of the taxpaying public.Barkat has made no secret of the fact that the light rail project is going through no matter what. The only compromise he has offered, according to those who have met with him, is that he will consider a good alternative if it is presented.The best alternative out of all the possibilities is on Harakevet Street, which is quite close to Emek Refaim and where the original Jerusalem-Tel Aviv railway once ran. It’s where construction would not unduly disturb the bulk of the area’s population.But it’s not only a matter of the route of the light rail. It’s also a question as to whether the light rail is the answer to Jerusalem’s public transportation needs.Isabella Ginor, a journalist and analyst on post-Soviet affairs who frequently travels abroad to participate in international conferences, said that in most of the places she goes, the light rail is no longer in use. Others at the meeting also said it was obsolete and that a plan approved 20 years ago was now on the way to being implemented without taking into consideration changes that have occurred in the interim.What no one mentioned is the relatively high birthrate in Jerusalem, with no provision on the light rail for baby carriages. Any light rail passenger who has to contend with a proliferation of strollers and shopping carts knows what a nightmare this can be.THE TRAGEDY is that Barkat’s partner in the light rail travesty is Transportation Minister Israel Katz, known to be a bulldozer who goes ahead with what he thinks is best for society, regardless of what society thinks.Barkat, who has changed the face of the city by encouraging high-rise development (other than on the street where he lives), also thinks he knows what’s best for society. He also has made it clear that he is now aiming for a seat in the next Knesset, which he means he can wash his hands of any discomfort or financial crisis he causes to residents of the capital in the period that remains.In this way he will be just like Gilad Erdan, who, in the 20 months he was communications minister, destroyed the Israel Broadcasting Authority instead of implementing previously agreed reforms.Erdan is blithely progressing with his political career, as Barkat will with his – and neither will look back on the damage they have caused.