Jerusalem / PNN - The Israelis say they will “re-organize Arab neighborhoods” in East Jerusalem by destroying only those houses that are near new green space. Officials say this new tact is designed to alleviate pressure from the US and Europe.
The Israeli mayor of Jerusalem accepted a draft resolution to demolish 30 percent of the unlicensed homes in the eastern part of the Palestinian city. The remaining 70 percent will be granted a temporary status.
Home demolitions are on the rise and are carried out under the guise of be unlicensed, but for Palestinians obtaining a license from the occupying Israeli administration is nearly impossible.
As PNN and others reported on last month the massive demolition will include 4,500 to 6,000 Palestinian houses in East Jerusalem. Those without licenses in the city range from between 15 to 20 thousand.
The head of the Israeli-controlled Jerusalem municipality issued the draft resolution late last month in what appeared to be a declaration addressed to the Western bodies, including the US, that were pressing the Israelis to end the policy of demolishing Palestinian homes in the city.
In an overt attempt to mitigate the opposition to the policy of demolishing Palestinian homes in Jerusalem, the Israeli mayor announced that the draft resolution intends to destroy those house built in “green areas,” or those to be devoted to public parks, as reported by the daily Al Hiyat Friday. But this is clearly a bid for control over neighborhoods that will be part of those “facts on the ground” that cannot be changed in the future, regardless of the illegality under international law. Silwan, Al Bustan, Ras Al Amud, Sheikh Jarrah, Shu’afat, the Old City and more neighborhoods will see major home demolitions. These are crucial neighborhoods in the retention of Palestinian East Jerusalem, which makes them a clear target.
The previous Israeli government of Ehud Olmert submitted a proposal in the negotiations with Palestinians to divide Jerusalem into three sections, the first of which is the heart of the city in the Old City, holy sites and areas. And the second was the surrounding area, such as Sheikh Jarrah, Wadi Joz, and others, and the third was heavily populated areas such as Shu'afat and others. The proposal was to have Palestinians sign on to full Israeli control of the first section, with a connection to the Service of Israel in the second section and then the Third Division to be in the hands of the Palestinian Authority. The third area is the furthest away of the three from the heart of the city and its Muslim and Christian holy sites.
Jewish groups and the occupying Israeli administration are active in Judaizing neighborhoods and buildings in the Old City and nearby Silwan and Sheikh Jarrah.
The campaign to demolish Palestinian homes under the pretext of being unlicensed is a move further ahead from the previous unacceptable proposal. Now the neighborhoods will be destroyed.
In recent months the municipality has issued demolition notices in massive numbers to residential neighborhoods and multiple buildings. Notifications have been issued to demolish 88 houses in Silwan’s Al Bustan which are home to 1,500 Palestinians. In the neighborhood of Ras Al Amud home owners received notices for the demolition of 55 houses. In the neighborhood of Abbasiya the Israelis issued notices to demolish two buildings comprised of 55 apartments. The At-Tur neighborhood received notices to demolish 12 houses.
Successive Israeli governments have been working diligently to implement the draft for Jerusalem in 2020. The plan was set up by the municipality in 1994 to change the demographic and geographic character of the city by increasing the number of Jewish neighborhoods for a unified capital of the Jewish state.
The Arab Studies Society says that the "Jerusalem 2020" plan was developed a few months after the signing of the Oslo agreement.
The recent survey by the Arab Studies Society said the Israeli authorities destroyed about 900 households in Jerusalem since the Oslo Accord to date. Entire areas are wiped out in order to replace them with settlements, thereby eventually allowing the settlers to encroach further into Palestinian neighborhoods and driving them out.
The settlement blocs around Jerusalem number 27 with 14 in the Gush Etzion Settlement, eight in the massive Ma’ale Adumim Settlement and five blocs in Givat Ze’ev.
The total number of Palestinians in East Jerusalem is 280 thousand while the number of settlers that have arrived now numbers at 193.
Palestinian presidential lawyer Ahmed Robi said today, "Last year the [Israeli] government decided to set up 40 thousand housing units in Jerusalem, and at the completion of these units will increase the number of Jews to a million."
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