The Jerusalem Municipality announced Monday evening that the first stage of the "Silicon Wadi" project, an initiative designed to set up industrial and business zones in the eastern half of the city and to strengthen the city's Arab residents' confidence in local government, is underway.
The Silicon Wadi project entails the construction of approximately 200,000 square meters (2.1 million square feet) of commercial area, with an emphasis on the high tech, trade, and hotel sectors. Among the goals of the initiative are to create 10,000 jobs in east Jerusalem, increasing the participation of east Jerusalem women in the job market, and to bolster support for the Israeli school curriculum in east Jerusalem schools.
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Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion stated, "We are taking another step toward implementing a historic plan in the east of the city and are bringing huge economic news to Jerusalem and east Jerusalem in particular, by increasing employment in high-tech."
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"We will ensure that we include the leading companies in the market and the best manpower in east Jerusalem. We will coordinate fully with planning, employment, and training bodies to create a true revolution and foster hope in east Jerusalem," Lion said.
The Jerusalem Municipality is also working on another project to turn 13 local streets into pedestrian thoroughfares that will host tours and street performances at regular times through August.
Lion said that the idea of opening up city streets to pedestrian traffic would "increase the sense of safety of people who spend time in business streets and … help businesses and encourage people to enjoy themselves in larger spaces, outside businesses themselves."
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