Israeli Occupation Government Plans Demolishing More Palestinian Homes in Jerusalem

Israeli occupation government plan of demolishing of tens of Palestinian homes in Jerusalem

[ 18/06/2010 - 11:08 AM ]

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)--

The Israeli occupation government will decide on Monday on the planned demolition of 22 Palestinian homes in the Silwan suburb of occupied Jerusalem according to Haaretz newspaper.

The local planning and building committee will discuss the plans of Jerusalem's mayor Nir Barkat "The Silwan Suburb Development" which will result in the demolition of tens of Palestinian homes in the neighbourhood.

Haaretz also reported that Barkat promised the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to halt the plan to allow for talks with the Palestinian Authority. However the owners of the threatened homes say that no one from the municipality has contacted them in the past few months on the matter.

The plan is to build an antiquities park in the Bustan neighbourhood of Silwan where the municipality claims that there are 80 Palestinian homes built without permits and that 22 homes will need to be demolished and their inhabitants moved to another suburb, which the residents rejected.

The announcement about a decision to be made on Monday regarding the demolition of these homes was made to coincide with the visit of the US envoy George Mitchell to the country which started on Thursday.

As Mitchell Tries To Launch Talks, Israel To Demolish 22 Homes in Jerusalem

Friday June 18, 2010 12:29 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Amidst efforts to create a positive atmosphere for peace talks between the Israeli occupation government and the Palestinian autonomous government, called the Palestinian Authority, Israel to discuss demolishing 22 Palestinian homes in occupied East Jerusalem.

Last time Mitchell visited the region on May 20, some 56 members of Knesset in Israel signed a statement calling on the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, to resume the construction in Ariel settlement in the northern part of the occupied West Bank.

The Israeli “Planning and Construction Committee” will discuss on Monday a plan put forth by Jerusalem Mayor, Nir Barkat, to demolish dozens of Arab homes in Silwan neighborhood in East Jerusalem.

Israeli paper, Haaretz, reported that Barkat vowed to Netanyahu to delay the plan in order to finalize negotiations with the owners of the homes. The residents confirmed that they were not approached by any official or by the municipality.

The plan aims at constructing an “Archeological Garden” in Al Bustan neighbored; the neighbored contains 80 Arab homes allegedly built without a permit.

The municipality wants to demolish 22 homes and to transfer the residents to another area, an issue that was rejected by the residents as it violates their rights and violates international law.

The residents presented a plan that does not include demolishing their homes, Haaretz said, but the municipality rejected the plan and refused to hold talks with the residents.

The municipality will present its own plan on Monday without any changes and will submit it to the “Planning and Construction Committee” for approval.

Fair Use Notice

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.