Israel to demolish 50 Palestinian homes in Jerusalem, Armenian Church building, plans for a million illegal setters

Tafakji: Zionist scheme to settle one million Jews in Jerusalem, WB

[ 30/04/2009 - 07:36 AM ]

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)--

Khalil Tafakji, an expert on Israeli settlements and the director of the maps center for Arab studies, said that Israel was strenuously working on creating greater Jerusalem that would eat up 10% of the entire West Bank area.

Tafakji in a press statement on Wednesday said that Israel was trying to introduce a new demographic balance by which Israelis would constitute a big majority in Jerusalem.

He added that Israel also plans to separate northern West Bank from its southern areas and works against the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.

The settlements' expert explained that the Kidar and Maaleh Adumim settlement bloc east and north of occupied Jerusalem over an area of 191 square kilometers would absolutely prevent establishment of a Palestinian state geographically connected with Jerusalem as its capital.

Tafakji said that the Israeli settlement drive never stopped in any of the West Bank settlements, noting that Israel plans to construct 73,000 new housing units within five years to accommodate one million Jews in Jerusalem and West Bank.

The Israeli municipality finishes preparations to demolish 50 Palestinian homes in Jerusalem

Wednesday April 29, 2009 16:18 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

The Israeli Jerusalem municipality announced on Wednesday that it had finalized all the preparations needed to demolish 50 Palestinian-owned homes in Jerusalem.

The homes are located at Al-Bustan neighborhood just outside the old city of Jerusalem. On February of this year the Israeli Jerusalem municipality announced plans to demolish 88 Palestinian-owned homes located at Al-Bustan neighborhood. The municipality says the homes are built without permissions.

Since Israeli occupied the city of Jerusalem in 1967 it has rarely given Palestinian residents of the city permissions to built homes. The municipality legal advisor told the home owners on Wednesday that the 50 home will be demolished by a private Israeli company this summer, but gave no exact date.

Abdul-Qader: Israel issued orders to demolish constructions belonging to East Jerusalem Church

Wednesday April 29, 2009 22:11 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Hatim Abdul-Qader, Jerusalem Affairs advisor to the Palestinian Prime Minister, stated on Wednesday at night that the Jerusalem Municipality issued orders to demolish constructions that are located in historical churches and monasteries in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Abdul-Qader stated that some Christian leaders in Jerusalem asked him to intervene and stop an Israeli order to demolish two floors built on top of the Armenian Church in the Old City.

The Church is one of the main Christian sites and was built more than 150 years ago; it is built on Church land and registered under the name of the Belgium king.

Abdul-Qader added that the building was constructed as a residence for priests and clergymen who come from the Vatican to visit Jerusalem.

He stated that the Israeli decision is a violation to Christian Holy sites, and considered it a challenge to the Pope who will be visiting the region.

“Such a decision reveals the Israeli intentions to wipe Arab, Muslim and Christian history in Jerusalem”, Abdul-Qader stated, “This is yet another Israeli violation that disregards Christian and Muslim presence and identity in the holy city”.

He added that the Pope, who will be visiting the region, will be informed on the Israeli violations, and will also be informed on the illegal Israeli measures baring Muslim and Christian Palestinians from reaching their holy sites.

Israeli municipality issues demolition order on renovated housing in a Jerusalem monastery

Date: 30 / 04 / 2009 Time: 09:08
Jerusalem – Ma’an –

Orders have been made to demolish a two-floor addition to a monastery and church in the Old City of Jerusalem, Aide for Jerusalem affairs Hatem Abdul Qader reported on Wednesday.

The orders were made by the Israeli occupation municipal government of Jerusalem, and target structures such as a two story addition to the Armenian Catholic Church. Clergy from the order have requested help in fighting the order.

The addition was built to house religious figures visiting Jerusalem from Vatican City. The 150-year-old structure is built on land owned by Belgium's monarchy.

Abdul Qader described the order as a challenge against holy sites in the Old City, and said the order was particularly concerning ahead of Pope Benedict XVI's May visit. He noted that the issue would be brought up with the Holy Father.

The attack on the church is seen as yet another attempt to wipe Palestinian religious presence from the Old City in an effort to judaize the area.

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