The Jerusalem Municipal Council approved Tuesday night a plan to construct an educational campus for Education Ministry schools near the city's Arab Shuafat and Anata neighborhoods.
These schools will be an alternative to the UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) schools which currently dominate the area.
The project will cost 7.1 million NIS ($2,055,617), and will be located in an area outside the pre-1967 borders but within Jerusalem's municipal borders.
Jerusalem Council Member Aryeh King thanked Mayor Moshe Lion for advancing the project, which will lessen UNRWA's influence in the city.
"We're not talking, we're acting," King wrote on Facebook. "While the previous mayor, Nir Barkat, published press releases for years about his plans to reduce UNWRA's influence and involvement in eastern Jerusalem, the current mayor, Moshe Lion, passed last night a decision of unprecedented importance. I salute you, Mayor."
Previously, it was revealed that UNRWA, which has clear terror ties, has been responsible since 1965 for 20,000 "refugees" who have full Israeli citizenship and receive National Health Insurance payments, free health care, and other services provided to Israeli citizens. They also receive services from the Jerusalem municipality, since they are residents of the city.
As part of its activities in Jerusalem, UNRWA operates several clinics, as well as schools - which use textbooks that do not mention Israel even once. All of their schools and clinics operated without Israeli licenses.