Just ahead of the upcoming weekend, the new “Pethat Kidron” Park, the first park in East Jerusalem which is 25 dunams and larger than the main Jerusalem park, Sacher park, will open in Wadi Joz. The park includes a variety of attractions, playgrounds for children, a huge and shady green area, sports fields, and picnic areas.
The park is close to the area where the "Silicon Wadi" employment project will be built in the coming years in Wadi Joz. Approximately 200,000 square meters of employment space will be built, with an emphasis on employment in the high-tech sector. The Silicon Wadi project will also include 50,000 square meters of commercial space and another 50,000 square meters for other use.
Jerusalem's 'Silicon Wadi' plans might be just a pipe dream: The Jerusalem municipality plans to transform the Palestinian Wadi Joz neighborhood into a modern high-tech center, but sensitive politics and problematic funding put the project at risk https://t.co/1jaQHBp7TH Haaretz pic.twitter.com/GE2DbiaRDk
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Among the goals of the project is the creation of about ten thousand quality jobs in the eastern part of the city, increasing trust between the population of the East of the city and the municipality and the Israeli government. It will also help with increasing the employment rate of women from East Jerusalem and strengthening the position of the Israeli curriculum in the East of the city as a key to higher education and employment.
Pethat Kidron Park is expected to be used by the residents of the area, and it is seen as good news for the East Jerusalem public. This is the first park established in East Jerusalem since the reunification of the city. The park will also be used for cultural events sponsored by the Jerusalem municipality in the evening. In recent years, many resources have been invested in the east of the city with the aim of changing its current deteriorating state. In the last five years, about 2.2 billion NIS have been invested, in the areas of infrastructure, education, employment, public buildings, and more. Another reform was also made by the municipality in the field of cleaning, with the Ministry of Environmental Protection.
Jerusalem Hospitality Tent to Debut in Historic Kidron Valley - @JewishPress - https://t.co/bRpSVdWxbN pic.twitter.com/YsPcKEsBZI
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Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Leon said ahead of the opening of the new park: "The Pethat Kidron Park is another big step in reducing the gap between the east and the west of the city. Every resident deserves the right to public areas for leisure and sports close to home, and this park, the first of its kind, is an important solution to this. We will continue in the coming years as well to invest in East Jerusalem together with the Israeli government."
