JERUSALEM — The Israeli government says it has given a hardline Jewish group permission to build a new archaeological center in a tense Arab neighborhood in east Jerusalem.

Interior Ministry spokeswoman Efrat Orbach said Tuesday that a Jerusalem planning committee approved the project this week. The public has 60 days to appeal.

The center is to be built in Silwan, an impoverished neighborhood next to Jerusalem’s Old City. Arab residents often clash with Israeli police and guards who protect 80 Jewish families who settled there.

The Palestinians claim east Jerusalem for their future capital. They say the development plan aims to cement Israel’s control over the area.

The center is planned by Elad, a pro-settler group that runs archaeological digs in Silwan.