Dozens of East Jerusalem leaders protest against home demolitions

Tuesday October 23, 2007 19:03 by Maisa Abu Ghazalah - IMEMC News

Muslim and Christian leaders from East Jerusalem joined with Palestinian-Israeli members of the Israeli Knesset and members of the Palestinian legislative council in a demonstration Tuesday challenging the Israeli policy of home demolitions in East Jerusalem.

The protestors faced a large presence of Israeli police as they gathered Tuesday morning in front of the Israeli municipality building.

The demonstrators affirmed that the home demolition policy in East Jerusalem is a systematic and discriminatory policy aimed at expelling the Palestinian residents from their city.  During the demonstration, the protestors held banners written in Arabic, English and Hebrew, and chanted slogans demanding an end to the discriminatory Israeli policies in East Jerusalem.

The impetus for Tuesday's demonstration was the imminent demolition of the Abu Aisha apartment building, which has all required permits but is still slated for demolition by Israeli authorities.  According to the Israeli Coalition Against Home Demolitions, 90% of all home demolitions carried out by Israeli authorities are so-called 'administrative demolitions', in which the Palestinian homeowners are accused of "building without a permit".  Israeli authorities have not issued building permits to Palestinians since taking over all Palestinian land and occupying it in 1967.

Hatim Abed Al Qader, the Palestinian Prime minister's advisor for Jerusalem affairs, demanded that the Israeli government stop violating the rights of the city's residents by engaging in home demolitions.

The Israeli policy of home demolitions is in direct violation of international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention, to which Israel is a signatory.

Abed Al Qader added, "We stand by the owners of the demolished homes.  But we can not promise victory.  We need support from the Arab nations." 

He also warned of the pending demolition of the Abu Aisha building in the neighborhood of Beit Hanina.  He said, "If the Israeli municipality succeeds in approving the demolition of the Abu Aisha building, that sets the precedent for the potential demolition of hundreds of other homes that share the same legal status as the Abu Aisha building.  He stated that this building had the required permit from the Israeli municipality.

Mohamad Baraka, a Palestinian-Israeli member of the Israeli Knesset said that "Israel is attempting to put what they call 'facts on the ground' in Jerusalem, taking over the Palestinian areas in East Jerusalem.  Israel is trying to take the issue of Jerusalem off the negotiating table by constructing the Annexation Wall, demolishing homes and digging under the Al Aqsa Mosque."

Baraka affirmed that Jerusalem will remain an Arab city, and will be the capital of any future Palestinian State.  He added, "We as members of the Israeli Knesset are working through the legislature to try to support and aid the city's residents.  The Israeli escalation in its policy toward East Jerusalem are meant to gain advantages prior to the upcoming international conference."

Hana Suwaeid, another Palestinian-Israeli member of the Israeli Knesset, denounced the threat of demolition of a licensed building in East Jerusalem. He affirmed that he will work to stop its demolition.

Archbishop Attalah Hana, head of the Roman Orthodox Archbishops, affirmed his support to the Palestinian families whose homes are threatened with demolition by Israeli authorities.  He said, "The Israeli authorities are trying to threaten and intimidate the Palestinians through escalating their demolition policy in East Jerusalem."

Emiel Jarju'ee, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council affirmed his rejection of the Israeli home demolition policy in east Jerusalem.  He reiterated the statements of other speakers in condemning the potential demolition of a licensed building, and asking for the Arab states to intervene.

Shiekh Khaleel al Alami, one of the residents of the building said that "demolishing this building will mean expelling 70 people, including children and women, leaving us homeless".  He added that, "We will not leave our home, except as dead bodies.  We will resist until the end".

He demanded the intervention of the Arab and Islamic countries to support the residents of the building in their case.

Maer Margareet, head of the Israeli committee against home demolition (ICHAD) warned agaist the demolition of this building and said that "the home demolition policy carried out by Israeli authorities is a type of collective punishment."

Translated by Manar Jibrin, edited by Jenka Soderberg

jerusalem | israeli attacks | news report manarjibrin at gmail dot com