Italian company withdraws from occupation's "cable car" project in Jerusalem

An Italian engineering company has withdrawn from the Israeli cable car project in occupied Jerusalem, becoming the fifth foreign company to back out of participation, amid objections to its route ending in a settlement complex in Silwan. The newspaper "La Repubblica" quoted the company's owner confirming the withdrawal, while the general manager attributed it to work pressure without political reasons.

An Italian engineering company specializing in cable car project planning, Engineering Ropeway ROPES, announced its withdrawal from the Israeli cable car project in occupied Jerusalem, becoming the fifth foreign company to retreat from participation. The Jerusalem Development Authority, affiliated with the occupation government, had announced its intention to contract with the company for consulting services, before the company confirmed its withdrawal to Italian media. "La Repubblica" quoted the company's owner as saying he initially agreed to provide services but later changed his mind, confirming the company is no longer involved in the project. In a separate statement to "Il Fatto Quotidiano", the company's general manager attributed the withdrawal decision to work pressure without citing political reasons. The withdrawal comes amid objections to the cable car route, which ends in a settlement complex in the town of Silwan, despite the Israeli government's approval of the plan since 2019.