Hundreds of Jerusalemites protest against Israeli policies in the city
Wednesday November 07, 2007 16:07
by Maisa Abu Ghazaleh - IMEMC News
A peaceful demonstration of hundreds of residents of East Jerusalem joined by a number of Israeli and International peace activists marched on Tuesday to protest the Israeli policies of home demolition and land confiscation in the city.
The protesters took to the main streets of East Jerusalem until they reached the yard of the Israeli municipality building in the western section of the city.
The participants were carrying banners in Arabic , Hebrew and English, reading: " No for home demolition, Yes to peace , we want to live in real peace, let's resolve our issues ourselves, we do not want the Occupation mandate." A group of the protesters of the well known Jewish group, Naturi Karta, carried banners that read " these are Zionists, not Jews" and chanted slogans against the policies of the Israeli municipality of Jerusalem that target Arab homes, aiming at expelling their residents.
As the protestors reached the yard of the municipality a number of them delivered speeches in which they affirmed their rejection of the Israeli policies. Speakers included Adnan Al Huseini, president Abbas' advisor on Jerusalem affairs, who affirmed the necessity to stop all Israeli procedures inside East Jerusalem, especially the diggings around the al Al- Aqsa mosque. He said: "we are one month off the coming peace conference. The Israelis should create the atmosphere that serves peace, but what they are doing does not lead to peace and does not serve it, so coming generations of Israelis and Palestinians will suffer." He added: "we have the courage to take the necessary decisions to give the Palestinians their rights, to stop their suffering, and to allow them to live in dignity, the same as the rest of the world's nations."
Hatem Abed Al Qader advisor for Jerusalem affairs to Dr Salam Fayyad said that "we came to the Israeli municipality building in the Western section of the city, not in recognition of it since it was brought to the city by military force. We came here to say No for home demolition, No to the diggings under the Al Aqsa mosque and land confiscation." He affirmed the right of the Palestinian residents in the city to defend themselves to combat these procedures. He aded that "this is a wakening beginning for Jerusalemites to defend the city and to restore it as the capital for the Palestinian state and to confront all of the Israeli violations against land, people and holy sites."
Shiekh E'ekrmah Sabri, head of the high Islamic committee, praised the protestors who came to voice their rejection of the Israeli policies, which he said: "will not lead to peace and justice since it is an occupant discriminative policy." He affirmed the legitimate right of the Palestinians to build homes, and enjoy freedom of worship and movement. "We affirm our solidarity with those whose homes are threatened to be demolished", he continued.
Jihad Abu Zneid, member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, said that "we came here to say to Jerusalem municipality, to the Israeli occupation, to the Palestinian and Israeli negotiators: We have a right, we believe in peace that does not include leaders only but the Palestinians and the Israelis, a peace between people that would bring security and assurances to them." She affirmed that the Palestinians do not want peace as it happened in Oslo, but "a real peace as late president Arafat wanted for them". She added that peace should be achieved on the basis of Palestinian principles, rights and the establishment of an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital."
Ahmad al Ruweidi, head of Jerusalem department in the president's office said that " this is an outcry the Jerusalemites are sending against all of the Israeli procedures against them, and against their city", and added that "we are sending a message to the Arab and Islamic world that we are the victims of the Israeli occupation so all should take responsibility".
Demitri Deliani, head of the national Christian gathering said: "we came here not in recognition of the municipality. This is our land that gave birth to Abu Ammar and the Palestinian national movement." he added: "stop the injustice, killing and expelling of Palestinians. We are still here despite of all of your forces."
Majed Abu Aisha, the landlord of the building that is threatened to be demolished said that "from this moment we will not stand doing nothing about the Israeli policies carried out against us."
Translated by Manar Jibrin-IMEMC News
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