12 aug 2019
Presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh slammed possible future US declaration ahead of the Israeli elections in September backing Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank.
Abu Rudeineh stressed that any procedure or decision that affects Palestinian national rights and the resolutions of international legitimacy shall be considered illegitimate.
He made his remarks responding to media reports indicating that Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking a public declaration from US President Donald Trump recognizing Israeli sovereignty over parts of the occupied West Bank.
Abu Rudeineh warned that such a move would have “serious implications” particularly that it would follow the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, ongoing Israeli settlers’ intrusions into Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and the US position on the issue of Palestinian refugees and the stipends of the families of Palestinian prisoners and those killed by Israeli forces.
“This step, if taken, would constitute ongoing playing with fire,” he added, and stressed that stability and security are indivisible and that “peace would not be made at any price”.
“Neither this step would establish any right ]to Israel[, nor it will create a viable false reality,” he added.
In conclusion, Abu Rudeineh reiterated that the Palestinian people would defend its national rights, history, heritage and holy sites, no matter how long it takes, and expressed his hopes that justice and Palestinian legitimacy will ultimately prevail.
Palestine warns US against backing Israeli annexation bid
Palestine has warned the United States not to “play with fire” by endorsing an Israeli scheme to annex the settlements the regime has constructed in the occupied West Bank in defiance of international law.
Palestinian Presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh made the remarks on Monday, after Zman Yisrael, The Times of Israel’s Hebrew-language site, reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu was attempting to obtain public approval from US President Donald Trump for the regime’s annexation bid ahead of the September 17 elections in the occupied territories.
Just three days before Israel’s April 9 polls, Netanyahu had vowed to annex West Bank settlements if he won another term in office.
Abu Rudeineh stressed that any decision that affects the Palestinians’ national rights, as well as international resolutions, will be considered “illegitimate,” Palestine’s Wafa news agency reported.
The official further underlined Washington’s earlier instances of support for Israel, including recognizing occupied Jerusalem as Israel’s “capital” and standing by the side of the regime on the issue of Palestinian refugees and the salaries of prisoners and martyrs in addition to Israeli settlers’ intrusions into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound.
He also warned that any US declaration of support for Israel’s new scheme would have “serious implications.”This step, if taken, would constitute … playing with fire,” the Palestinian official said, emphasizing that stability and security are indivisible and that “peace would not be made at any price.”Washington’s position will not create any for the regime, he added.
Abu Rudeineh further reiterated the Palestinian people’s resolve to defend their “national rights, history, heritage, and holy sites, no matter how long it takes and expressed his hopes that justice and Palestinian legitimacy will ultimately prevail.”
Since taking office in 2017, Trump has been showering Netanyahu with political gifts, including recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s “capital” and moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the occupied city as well as cutting aid to the Palestinians and closing the Palestine Liberation Organization’s office in Washington.
Before Israel’s April elections, Trump signed a decree recognizing Israeli “sovereignty” over Syria’s occupied Golan Heights at the start of a meeting with Netanyahu in Washington.
Emboldened by the US president’s all-out support, the Tel Aviv regime has in recent months stepped up its settlement construction activities in the occupied lands in defiance of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334.
Settlements built on occupied land are illegal under international law and have been seen as a stumbling block to the resolution of the Palestine issue.
The Palestinians have frequently called for the establishment of their sovereign state along the pre-1967 lines with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital.
Abu Rudeineh stressed that any procedure or decision that affects Palestinian national rights and the resolutions of international legitimacy shall be considered illegitimate.
He made his remarks responding to media reports indicating that Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking a public declaration from US President Donald Trump recognizing Israeli sovereignty over parts of the occupied West Bank.
Abu Rudeineh warned that such a move would have “serious implications” particularly that it would follow the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, ongoing Israeli settlers’ intrusions into Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and the US position on the issue of Palestinian refugees and the stipends of the families of Palestinian prisoners and those killed by Israeli forces.
“This step, if taken, would constitute ongoing playing with fire,” he added, and stressed that stability and security are indivisible and that “peace would not be made at any price”.
“Neither this step would establish any right ]to Israel[, nor it will create a viable false reality,” he added.
In conclusion, Abu Rudeineh reiterated that the Palestinian people would defend its national rights, history, heritage and holy sites, no matter how long it takes, and expressed his hopes that justice and Palestinian legitimacy will ultimately prevail.
Palestine warns US against backing Israeli annexation bid
Palestine has warned the United States not to “play with fire” by endorsing an Israeli scheme to annex the settlements the regime has constructed in the occupied West Bank in defiance of international law.
Palestinian Presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh made the remarks on Monday, after Zman Yisrael, The Times of Israel’s Hebrew-language site, reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu was attempting to obtain public approval from US President Donald Trump for the regime’s annexation bid ahead of the September 17 elections in the occupied territories.
Just three days before Israel’s April 9 polls, Netanyahu had vowed to annex West Bank settlements if he won another term in office.
Abu Rudeineh stressed that any decision that affects the Palestinians’ national rights, as well as international resolutions, will be considered “illegitimate,” Palestine’s Wafa news agency reported.
The official further underlined Washington’s earlier instances of support for Israel, including recognizing occupied Jerusalem as Israel’s “capital” and standing by the side of the regime on the issue of Palestinian refugees and the salaries of prisoners and martyrs in addition to Israeli settlers’ intrusions into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound.
He also warned that any US declaration of support for Israel’s new scheme would have “serious implications.”This step, if taken, would constitute … playing with fire,” the Palestinian official said, emphasizing that stability and security are indivisible and that “peace would not be made at any price.”Washington’s position will not create any for the regime, he added.
Abu Rudeineh further reiterated the Palestinian people’s resolve to defend their “national rights, history, heritage, and holy sites, no matter how long it takes and expressed his hopes that justice and Palestinian legitimacy will ultimately prevail.”
Since taking office in 2017, Trump has been showering Netanyahu with political gifts, including recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s “capital” and moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the occupied city as well as cutting aid to the Palestinians and closing the Palestine Liberation Organization’s office in Washington.
Before Israel’s April elections, Trump signed a decree recognizing Israeli “sovereignty” over Syria’s occupied Golan Heights at the start of a meeting with Netanyahu in Washington.
Emboldened by the US president’s all-out support, the Tel Aviv regime has in recent months stepped up its settlement construction activities in the occupied lands in defiance of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334.
Settlements built on occupied land are illegal under international law and have been seen as a stumbling block to the resolution of the Palestine issue.
The Palestinians have frequently called for the establishment of their sovereign state along the pre-1967 lines with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital.
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) mapped overnight Sunday the homes of two Palestinians suspected, with no evidence, in the West Bank murder of an Israeli soldier as a prelude to demolishing them.
Cousins Nseir Asafra, 24, and Kassem Asafra, 30, were arrested on Saturday in the Palestinian town of Beit Kahil, northwest of Hebron.
Kassem's wife, Enas, was also arrested, as was a third man, Akrama Asafra, on suspicion of aiding the two suspects.
The main suspects are being exposed to pressure by Sin Bet interrogators to make confessions. The IOF also confiscated a vehicle allegedly used in the incident.
The IOF said that during the arrests, clashes broke out between forces and dozens of angry Palestinian young men.
Israeli army officials claims that suspects' questioning affirms that they did not operate under the guidance of any Palestinian group in the West Bank or Gaza but rather took a spur-of-the-moment decision when they saw the soldier, Dvir Sorek, walking alone toward his settlement.
Israeli Troops Prepare to Demolish Two Palestinian Homes in Collective Punishment
In the early morning hours on Monday, Israeli forces invaded the homes of the families of two Palestinian prisoners in Tulkarem and measured them in preparation for demolition.
Though the vast majority (around 90% according to the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions) of demolitions of Palestinian homes are administrative – with the claim that Palestinians ‘constructed the homes without permits’, around 10% are punitive demolitions, in which Israeli troops demolish the homes of the family members of Palestinians accused of crimes against Israelis.
In this case, the two Palestinians in question stand accused of murdering an Israeli soldier and settler, Dvir Sorek, on Saturday.
Their family members have not been accused of any crime, but will nevertheless be forced into homelessness by the Israeli policy of punitive home demolitions.
The two accused men, cousins Nseir Asafra, 24, and Kassem Asafra, 30, were abducted on Saturday after a widescale manhunt by Israeli forces after an Israeli soldier was found dead.
They were taken from their village of Beit Khalil, north of Hebron in the southern part of the West Bank.
In addition to the two cousins, Israeli forces also abducted Kassem’s wife Enas, and another relative, Akrama Asafra, who was suspected of aiding the two suspects.
The four were taken to an Israeli interrogation center and subjected to ‘harsh interrogation’ techniques.
Israeli military spokespersons have said that they believe the killing of Svorek was a “crime of opportunity” and that the suspected killers were not a part of armed resistance movements.
According to the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, “Between 2001-2005, according to B’tselem figures, 664 Palestinian homes were demolished in the Occupied Territory as forms of punishment. Some 4,182 innocent people were displaced, many of them neighbors of the suspect’s family, and this often on the basis of suspicion alone.”
The group’s report continues, “The idea behind punitive demolitions is simple and straightforward: Palestinians (like everyone else) hold their homes sacred, and since they live in extended families, the loss of a home serves as an effective deterrent to others who might carry out attacks if they knew that their family’s home would be destroyed.
The policy of punitive demolitions in fact grew out of the British Emergency Regulations of 1945, which none other than Menachem Begin referred to as “Nazi” regulations [pdf] and worked tirelessly, though ultimately unsuccessfully, to have them cancelled during his years in the Knesset.”
According to ICAHD, the Israeli military “itself has concluded that far from constituting effective deterrence, the policy of punitive demolitions actually inflamed an already combustible environment. To add to the irony, the military committee that concluded thus was convened by Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon, then-Chief of Staff, the very one now overseeing the reinstating of that failed policy. Indeed, it was Ya’alon himself who ended punitive demolitions in 2005.
“The return to punitive demolitions, which officially have no positive impact on either political policy or security, is therefore the exercise of raw, atavistic violence, unfocused revenge against suspects not yet tried or convicted, and innocent family members and neighbors – part of a broad policy of repression unlinked to any political process that may resolve the conflict.
“Not only do punitive demolitions violate the basic principle of due process of law, the home in question belonging only to a suspect, but the targeting and punishing of a suspect’s family members innocent of any crime through the demolition of their home constitutes collective punishment, a violation of Article 33 of The Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War (the Fourth Geneva Convention).
That Article reads: ‘No persons may be punished for an offense he or she has not personally committed,’ and it defines collective punishment as a war crime.
“Needless to say, punitive demolitions are only applied when the attacker is a Palestinian and the victim is a Jew; neither [Israeli military] or settler violence towards Palestinians is punishable, certainly not by demolishing Israeli Jewish homes.”
Cousins Nseir Asafra, 24, and Kassem Asafra, 30, were arrested on Saturday in the Palestinian town of Beit Kahil, northwest of Hebron.
Kassem's wife, Enas, was also arrested, as was a third man, Akrama Asafra, on suspicion of aiding the two suspects.
The main suspects are being exposed to pressure by Sin Bet interrogators to make confessions. The IOF also confiscated a vehicle allegedly used in the incident.
The IOF said that during the arrests, clashes broke out between forces and dozens of angry Palestinian young men.
Israeli army officials claims that suspects' questioning affirms that they did not operate under the guidance of any Palestinian group in the West Bank or Gaza but rather took a spur-of-the-moment decision when they saw the soldier, Dvir Sorek, walking alone toward his settlement.
Israeli Troops Prepare to Demolish Two Palestinian Homes in Collective Punishment
In the early morning hours on Monday, Israeli forces invaded the homes of the families of two Palestinian prisoners in Tulkarem and measured them in preparation for demolition.
Though the vast majority (around 90% according to the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions) of demolitions of Palestinian homes are administrative – with the claim that Palestinians ‘constructed the homes without permits’, around 10% are punitive demolitions, in which Israeli troops demolish the homes of the family members of Palestinians accused of crimes against Israelis.
In this case, the two Palestinians in question stand accused of murdering an Israeli soldier and settler, Dvir Sorek, on Saturday.
Their family members have not been accused of any crime, but will nevertheless be forced into homelessness by the Israeli policy of punitive home demolitions.
The two accused men, cousins Nseir Asafra, 24, and Kassem Asafra, 30, were abducted on Saturday after a widescale manhunt by Israeli forces after an Israeli soldier was found dead.
They were taken from their village of Beit Khalil, north of Hebron in the southern part of the West Bank.
In addition to the two cousins, Israeli forces also abducted Kassem’s wife Enas, and another relative, Akrama Asafra, who was suspected of aiding the two suspects.
The four were taken to an Israeli interrogation center and subjected to ‘harsh interrogation’ techniques.
Israeli military spokespersons have said that they believe the killing of Svorek was a “crime of opportunity” and that the suspected killers were not a part of armed resistance movements.
According to the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, “Between 2001-2005, according to B’tselem figures, 664 Palestinian homes were demolished in the Occupied Territory as forms of punishment. Some 4,182 innocent people were displaced, many of them neighbors of the suspect’s family, and this often on the basis of suspicion alone.”
The group’s report continues, “The idea behind punitive demolitions is simple and straightforward: Palestinians (like everyone else) hold their homes sacred, and since they live in extended families, the loss of a home serves as an effective deterrent to others who might carry out attacks if they knew that their family’s home would be destroyed.
The policy of punitive demolitions in fact grew out of the British Emergency Regulations of 1945, which none other than Menachem Begin referred to as “Nazi” regulations [pdf] and worked tirelessly, though ultimately unsuccessfully, to have them cancelled during his years in the Knesset.”
According to ICAHD, the Israeli military “itself has concluded that far from constituting effective deterrence, the policy of punitive demolitions actually inflamed an already combustible environment. To add to the irony, the military committee that concluded thus was convened by Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon, then-Chief of Staff, the very one now overseeing the reinstating of that failed policy. Indeed, it was Ya’alon himself who ended punitive demolitions in 2005.
“The return to punitive demolitions, which officially have no positive impact on either political policy or security, is therefore the exercise of raw, atavistic violence, unfocused revenge against suspects not yet tried or convicted, and innocent family members and neighbors – part of a broad policy of repression unlinked to any political process that may resolve the conflict.
“Not only do punitive demolitions violate the basic principle of due process of law, the home in question belonging only to a suspect, but the targeting and punishing of a suspect’s family members innocent of any crime through the demolition of their home constitutes collective punishment, a violation of Article 33 of The Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War (the Fourth Geneva Convention).
That Article reads: ‘No persons may be punished for an offense he or she has not personally committed,’ and it defines collective punishment as a war crime.
“Needless to say, punitive demolitions are only applied when the attacker is a Palestinian and the victim is a Jew; neither [Israeli military] or settler violence towards Palestinians is punishable, certainly not by demolishing Israeli Jewish homes.”
11 aug 2019
Qusai Burqan, left, says the demolition will cost his family 74,000 shekels ($21,200), which he is unable to pay
By Jan-Peter Westad in Wadi Yasul, Occupied East Jerusalem
Inhabitants of Wadi Yasul are latest victims of 'environmental' master plan to achieve demographic shift in East Jerusalem
On a hill just south of the Old City lies a 54-hectare thriving pine forest, located within the Palestinian neighbourhood of Silwan - one of occupied East Jerusalem's most ghettoized areas, owing to Israeli government and settler initiatives.
The park, named the "Peace Forest," is for many visitors a tourist attraction, promoted as a "natural treasure" in the wider Israeli City of David archaeological site open to the public.
The forest was created and named shortly after Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967, by the Jewish National Fund, an organisation that financially supports illegal Jewish settlement projects targeting Palestinian neighbourhoods.
Since the 1970s, the area has been zoned by the Israeli government as "green," meaning construction there is prohibited.
In 1977, the government handed control of the City of David project to the El-Ad Jewish settlement group.
The area of Wadi Yasul in Silwan, housing over 500 residents, has been slated for demolition by Israeli authorities.
With nowhere to expand over the decades, the residents of Wadi Yasul have had to build without difficult-to-obtain Israeli permits, subjecting them to demolition orders and displacement.
'Every day you step out of your house is a risk'
Qusai and Anas Burqan built and lived with their families in the two homes, which were demolished two weeks after El-Ad received approval from various governmental institutions to develop commercial enterprises in the park.
The projects, supported through funding and land allocation by the Israeli Jerusalem Municipality, the Israel Land Authority and the Tourism Ministry, include a visitor centre, campgrounds and a zipline.
"They have destroyed all my chances to live a modest life," father-of-three Qusai Burqan, who has since moved with his family to a 50 square metre apartment, tells Middle East Eye.
He says the demolition will cost his family 74,000 shekels ($21,200), which he is unable to pay. "I am frustrated and hopeless."
"My children ask me when are we going back home. They ask me why is Israel doing this to us? What can you say to them? I don't have the answers," his brother, Anas, tells MEE.
Um Abed Abu Eshah lives in the area with her husband and six children.
"We thought we would pay a fine and then get a permit for the house. We didn't expect that the whole neighbourhood would be struggling for decades," she tells MEE.
"We took this risk because there is no way of getting a permit [...] and for Palestinians, every day you step out of your house is a risk," she continued.
'Engineering a Jewish majority'
By Jan-Peter Westad in Wadi Yasul, Occupied East Jerusalem
Inhabitants of Wadi Yasul are latest victims of 'environmental' master plan to achieve demographic shift in East Jerusalem
On a hill just south of the Old City lies a 54-hectare thriving pine forest, located within the Palestinian neighbourhood of Silwan - one of occupied East Jerusalem's most ghettoized areas, owing to Israeli government and settler initiatives.
The park, named the "Peace Forest," is for many visitors a tourist attraction, promoted as a "natural treasure" in the wider Israeli City of David archaeological site open to the public.
The forest was created and named shortly after Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967, by the Jewish National Fund, an organisation that financially supports illegal Jewish settlement projects targeting Palestinian neighbourhoods.
Since the 1970s, the area has been zoned by the Israeli government as "green," meaning construction there is prohibited.
In 1977, the government handed control of the City of David project to the El-Ad Jewish settlement group.
The area of Wadi Yasul in Silwan, housing over 500 residents, has been slated for demolition by Israeli authorities.
With nowhere to expand over the decades, the residents of Wadi Yasul have had to build without difficult-to-obtain Israeli permits, subjecting them to demolition orders and displacement.
'Every day you step out of your house is a risk'
Qusai and Anas Burqan built and lived with their families in the two homes, which were demolished two weeks after El-Ad received approval from various governmental institutions to develop commercial enterprises in the park.
The projects, supported through funding and land allocation by the Israeli Jerusalem Municipality, the Israel Land Authority and the Tourism Ministry, include a visitor centre, campgrounds and a zipline.
"They have destroyed all my chances to live a modest life," father-of-three Qusai Burqan, who has since moved with his family to a 50 square metre apartment, tells Middle East Eye.
He says the demolition will cost his family 74,000 shekels ($21,200), which he is unable to pay. "I am frustrated and hopeless."
"My children ask me when are we going back home. They ask me why is Israel doing this to us? What can you say to them? I don't have the answers," his brother, Anas, tells MEE.
Um Abed Abu Eshah lives in the area with her husband and six children.
"We thought we would pay a fine and then get a permit for the house. We didn't expect that the whole neighbourhood would be struggling for decades," she tells MEE.
"We took this risk because there is no way of getting a permit [...] and for Palestinians, every day you step out of your house is a risk," she continued.
'Engineering a Jewish majority'
Adel Jabori, a resident of Wadi Yasul, says the ultimate aim it to uproot the Palestinians, their buildings, trees and families
Since 1967, the Jerusalem Municipality has designated vast areas of annexed Palestinian territory as green spaces and national parks where building is not permitted.
Only 13 percent of land in occupied East Jerusalem is zoned for Palestinian development, most of which is already built on.
Meanwhile, some 83 percent is designated for state and settler use.
As a result, the poverty-stricken Palestinian population of the city suffers from severe overcrowding and is forced to build illegally.
"Planning policies in East Jerusalem do not meet people's housing and infrastructure need," the humanitarian coordinator at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Jamie McGoldrick, told MEE.
"At least a third of Palestinian homes are unlicensed, and more than 100,000 people are potentially at risk of demolition and displacement."
As of July, a total of 126 structures had been demolished in 2019, displacing 203 Palestinians.
"Engineering a Jewish majority in Jerusalem by driving Palestinian East Jerusalemites out of the city has been Israeli policy since the 1967 occupation began," Amit Gilutz, spokesperson for the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, told MEE.
"Israel has made it all but impossible for Palestinians to obtain building permits.
"Left with no other option, Palestinians build illegally, which then prompts Israel to issue demolition orders and in numerous cases demolish their homes," he said.
'Tool for achieving demographic goals'
Some 29 percent of the planned area in East Jerusalem has been designated "open/green areas," intertwined with Israeli Jewish-only settlements, many in the heart of Palestinian neighbourhoods.
The government-sponsored expansions and development of settlements aims to fulfil the goal of maintaining a Jewish majority in the city, as articulated in several Jerusalem Municipality city plans.
MEE contacted the Municipality of Jerusalem's city planning department for comment but received no response.
Sari Kronish, an architect for the organisation Bimkom, which supports planning rights for Palestinians, believes there is an unparalleled increase in the designation of Palestinian land in East Jerusalem as national parks.
"This is clearly a tool for achieving demographic goals. What has perhaps been more covert in the past is becoming more and more overt," she tells MEE.
'We feel humiliated'
In 2014, the UN secretary-general wrote in a report that "archaeological excavations and parks are also used as a way to control land for settlements, mainly through the funding, participation and endorsement by the Government of Israel of archaeological projects led by settler organisations".
"Observer organisations report that several archaeological projects in the Old City of Jerusalem are being used as a means to consolidate the presence of settlements and settlers in the area."
Adel Jabori, a resident of Wadi Yasul, says the ultimate aim is to uproot the Palestinians, their buildings, trees and families.
"We feel humiliated, and the situation is only getting worse," the 69-year-old told MEE.
Adel was one of many residents displaced from his home in the Old City in 1967.
With the increasing pressure on neighbourhoods like Wadi Yasul, it seems only a matter of time before history repeats itself.
Since 1967, the Jerusalem Municipality has designated vast areas of annexed Palestinian territory as green spaces and national parks where building is not permitted.
Only 13 percent of land in occupied East Jerusalem is zoned for Palestinian development, most of which is already built on.
Meanwhile, some 83 percent is designated for state and settler use.
As a result, the poverty-stricken Palestinian population of the city suffers from severe overcrowding and is forced to build illegally.
"Planning policies in East Jerusalem do not meet people's housing and infrastructure need," the humanitarian coordinator at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Jamie McGoldrick, told MEE.
"At least a third of Palestinian homes are unlicensed, and more than 100,000 people are potentially at risk of demolition and displacement."
As of July, a total of 126 structures had been demolished in 2019, displacing 203 Palestinians.
"Engineering a Jewish majority in Jerusalem by driving Palestinian East Jerusalemites out of the city has been Israeli policy since the 1967 occupation began," Amit Gilutz, spokesperson for the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, told MEE.
"Israel has made it all but impossible for Palestinians to obtain building permits.
"Left with no other option, Palestinians build illegally, which then prompts Israel to issue demolition orders and in numerous cases demolish their homes," he said.
'Tool for achieving demographic goals'
Some 29 percent of the planned area in East Jerusalem has been designated "open/green areas," intertwined with Israeli Jewish-only settlements, many in the heart of Palestinian neighbourhoods.
The government-sponsored expansions and development of settlements aims to fulfil the goal of maintaining a Jewish majority in the city, as articulated in several Jerusalem Municipality city plans.
MEE contacted the Municipality of Jerusalem's city planning department for comment but received no response.
Sari Kronish, an architect for the organisation Bimkom, which supports planning rights for Palestinians, believes there is an unparalleled increase in the designation of Palestinian land in East Jerusalem as national parks.
"This is clearly a tool for achieving demographic goals. What has perhaps been more covert in the past is becoming more and more overt," she tells MEE.
'We feel humiliated'
In 2014, the UN secretary-general wrote in a report that "archaeological excavations and parks are also used as a way to control land for settlements, mainly through the funding, participation and endorsement by the Government of Israel of archaeological projects led by settler organisations".
"Observer organisations report that several archaeological projects in the Old City of Jerusalem are being used as a means to consolidate the presence of settlements and settlers in the area."
Adel Jabori, a resident of Wadi Yasul, says the ultimate aim is to uproot the Palestinians, their buildings, trees and families.
"We feel humiliated, and the situation is only getting worse," the 69-year-old told MEE.
Adel was one of many residents displaced from his home in the Old City in 1967.
With the increasing pressure on neighbourhoods like Wadi Yasul, it seems only a matter of time before history repeats itself.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas visits the Jalazone refugee camp near Ramallah on August 11, 2019
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said that Israel’s policy of expansion of settlements will end nowhere, insisting that the illegal houses built on Palestinian lands would collapse sooner or later.
“It is unimportant that they (Israelis) declare houses here and settlements there, they will all be gone, they will be on the dustbins of the history,” said Abbas while making a rare visit to a Palestinian refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on Saturday.
The comments, covered by the Arabic section of Turkey’s Anadolu news agency, are among the most pointed coming from Abbas, a man whose 14-year-old tenure as President of the Palestinian Authority has proved to be mostly unpopular mainly due to his close security cooperation with the Israeli regime over the years.
However, Abbas has chosen to be more assertive in his criticism of Israel over the past months, especially now that the regime in Tel Aviv seems to be gaining more support from the United States in its illegal plans to annex more Palestinian and Arab territories.
Abbas said during his visit to the Jalazone camp that Israeli settlements will eventually fall down, no matter how much Israel wants to expand them.
“No matter how much Israel announces the construction of houses and settlements, they will fall down,” he said, adding, “And they will remember that the (Palestinian) land belongs to their owners.”
Official media outlets published images of Abbas flanked by senior Palestinian officials during his visit to Jalazone, located to the west of the occupied West Bank.
Many said the tour, believed to be a first in several years, was a response to a visit on Thursday by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the the nearby Beit El settlement.
“The visit was greatly welcomed by the camp's residents,” said Mahmoud Mubarak, head of the popular committee in Jalazone camp, adding that the visit was a “first political response" to the Netanyahu's visit to Beit El.
Abbas said in his speech to residents of Jalazone that Palestinians will continue to resist Israeli occupation come what may.
“The Palestinian people will remain steadfast, resilient and struggling on its land,” Abbas said, according to remarks covered by the official WAFA news agency.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said that Israel’s policy of expansion of settlements will end nowhere, insisting that the illegal houses built on Palestinian lands would collapse sooner or later.
“It is unimportant that they (Israelis) declare houses here and settlements there, they will all be gone, they will be on the dustbins of the history,” said Abbas while making a rare visit to a Palestinian refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on Saturday.
The comments, covered by the Arabic section of Turkey’s Anadolu news agency, are among the most pointed coming from Abbas, a man whose 14-year-old tenure as President of the Palestinian Authority has proved to be mostly unpopular mainly due to his close security cooperation with the Israeli regime over the years.
However, Abbas has chosen to be more assertive in his criticism of Israel over the past months, especially now that the regime in Tel Aviv seems to be gaining more support from the United States in its illegal plans to annex more Palestinian and Arab territories.
Abbas said during his visit to the Jalazone camp that Israeli settlements will eventually fall down, no matter how much Israel wants to expand them.
“No matter how much Israel announces the construction of houses and settlements, they will fall down,” he said, adding, “And they will remember that the (Palestinian) land belongs to their owners.”
Official media outlets published images of Abbas flanked by senior Palestinian officials during his visit to Jalazone, located to the west of the occupied West Bank.
Many said the tour, believed to be a first in several years, was a response to a visit on Thursday by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the the nearby Beit El settlement.
“The visit was greatly welcomed by the camp's residents,” said Mahmoud Mubarak, head of the popular committee in Jalazone camp, adding that the visit was a “first political response" to the Netanyahu's visit to Beit El.
Abbas said in his speech to residents of Jalazone that Palestinians will continue to resist Israeli occupation come what may.
“The Palestinian people will remain steadfast, resilient and struggling on its land,” Abbas said, according to remarks covered by the official WAFA news agency.
Page: 46 - 45 - 44 - 43 - 42 - 41 - 40 - 39 - 38 - 37 - 36 - 35 - 34 - 33 - 32 - 31 - 30 - 29 - 28 - 27 - 26 - 25
