With settlements being built in a flurry in and around Jerusalem, and Palestinians still getting evicted from their homes in the flash-point neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, the holy city is off to a bleak start.

Despite several feats, such as the UN status upgrade to non-permanent observer state, 2012 was disastrous for Palestinians. By the end of December, Israel had announced a series of settlement expansion plans that reaffirmed its opposition to ceding any parts of Jerusalem to the Palestinians in any future agreement.

First there was the announcement that E1, an area stretching from northeast Jerusalem, to the western parts of Ma’ale Adumim, would be flooded with settlements. Ma’aleh Adumim is a large settlement bloc overlooking a highway deemed a main artery leading to the Dead Sea and beyond to neighboring Jordan.

Built to parallel planned suburban communities in the United States, the settlers of this gargantuan settlement with the red rooftops and palm trees have long been promised by Israeli leaders that they would be part of the Israeli state in any future agreement with the Palestinians.