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Palestinian homes face demolition in Jerusalem
JERUSALEM: The Israeli municipality of Jerusalem is preparing to bulldoze an entire Palestinian neighbourhood in the city’s annexed Arab sector, igniting fury from local residents and the Palestinian prime minister.
Jerusalem’s municipal architect, Uri Shetrit, said the council was readying to destroy 88 homes, but the date had yet to be decided.
House destruction orders hang over 1,000 Palestinians living in Silwan, just outside the walls of the Old City.
If the bulldozers are called in, the operation will be one of the largest collective destruction operations of Palestinian houses in the Arab quarter of Jerusalem since it was occupied by Israel in 1967.
“The municipal architect’s decision to destroy these homes is purely political, because he is letting (Jewish) settlers build homes in the same sector,” said lawyer Muhannad Jbara, working to overturn the demolition orders.
In the midst of the protest, the office of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced that development plans to cement Israel’s control over Jerusalem would be submitted for government approval within days.
In Silwan - known to the Palestinians as Al-Bustan (the garden) and to Israelis as King’s Valley - councillors say the homes were built without permission and that they want to build a park in their place.
Shetrit said flattening the homes would “restore the area to its bygone landscape” and the “beginnings of Jerusalem 5,000 years ago”.
Residents of Silwan have erected a tent in the middle of the doomed neighbourhood as a beacon for protest where hundreds of Palestinians have flocked to express their solidarity.
Sanabel Shalodi, a 22-year-old mother, panics at the prospect of eviction. “I’m terrified because there’s nowhere else we can go in Jerusalem,” she says, sitting in her only too recently built house.
In the tent of protest, a map of the doomed homes - numbered one to 88 - has been hung up. Numbers 19 to 21 belong to the Abu Shamekh family.
“This house was built in 1972. My father was arrested and he paid a heavy fine for building without a permit,” said Khalil Abu Shamekh, prodding at one of the blobs on the map.
“Destroying these homes just promotes settlements. They want to shove 50,000 Palestinians from Silwan into exile,” he added.
Palestinian cartographer and settlement expert Khalil Tufakji maintains settlers have moved into 17 Silwan homes, supported by settler organisations and the Israeli government.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei has slammed plans that he says will see 200 families forced out of Silwan.
The decision “demonstrates the Israeli government’s determination to undermine (peace efforts), to Judaise Jerusalem and alter its religious, cultural and political identity”, he said.
Israel destroyed 343 Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem between 1999 and 2004, Israeli human rights association B’Tselem has said in a recent report.
Palestinians dream of making East Jerusalem the capital of their future state.
Since 1967, “the government of Israel’s primary goal in Jerusalem has been to create a demographic and geographic situation that will thwart any future attempt to challenge Israeli sovereignty over the city,” the report said.
House destruction orders hang over 1,000 Palestinians living in Silwan, just outside the walls of the Old City.
If the bulldozers are called in, the operation will be one of the largest collective destruction operations of Palestinian houses in the Arab quarter of Jerusalem since it was occupied by Israel in 1967.
“The municipal architect’s decision to destroy these homes is purely political, because he is letting (Jewish) settlers build homes in the same sector,” said lawyer Muhannad Jbara, working to overturn the demolition orders.
In the midst of the protest, the office of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced that development plans to cement Israel’s control over Jerusalem would be submitted for government approval within days.
In Silwan - known to the Palestinians as Al-Bustan (the garden) and to Israelis as King’s Valley - councillors say the homes were built without permission and that they want to build a park in their place.
Shetrit said flattening the homes would “restore the area to its bygone landscape” and the “beginnings of Jerusalem 5,000 years ago”.
Residents of Silwan have erected a tent in the middle of the doomed neighbourhood as a beacon for protest where hundreds of Palestinians have flocked to express their solidarity.
Sanabel Shalodi, a 22-year-old mother, panics at the prospect of eviction. “I’m terrified because there’s nowhere else we can go in Jerusalem,” she says, sitting in her only too recently built house.
In the tent of protest, a map of the doomed homes - numbered one to 88 - has been hung up. Numbers 19 to 21 belong to the Abu Shamekh family.
“This house was built in 1972. My father was arrested and he paid a heavy fine for building without a permit,” said Khalil Abu Shamekh, prodding at one of the blobs on the map.
“Destroying these homes just promotes settlements. They want to shove 50,000 Palestinians from Silwan into exile,” he added.
Palestinian cartographer and settlement expert Khalil Tufakji maintains settlers have moved into 17 Silwan homes, supported by settler organisations and the Israeli government.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei has slammed plans that he says will see 200 families forced out of Silwan.
The decision “demonstrates the Israeli government’s determination to undermine (peace efforts), to Judaise Jerusalem and alter its religious, cultural and political identity”, he said.
Israel destroyed 343 Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem between 1999 and 2004, Israeli human rights association B’Tselem has said in a recent report.
Palestinians dream of making East Jerusalem the capital of their future state.
Since 1967, “the government of Israel’s primary goal in Jerusalem has been to create a demographic and geographic situation that will thwart any future attempt to challenge Israeli sovereignty over the city,” the report said.
For more information:
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/arti...
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Palestinian officials warned of grave damage to peace efforts and demanded that Israel scrap the plan to raze the houses in the Silwan neighbourhood, just south of the walled Old City and near the al-Aqsa Mosque compound and Judaism's Western Wall.
Several Palestinian residents have received demolition notices, but the plan still faces court challenges. If approved, it would be one of the largest demolitions since Israel captured East Jerusalem in 1967, Israeli human-rights activist Danny Seidemann said.
About one-third of Jerusalem's 700,000 residents are Palestinian, but the city administration is predominantly Jewish. Most Palestinians refuse to take part in official municipal activities, regarding the latter as recognition of Israeli control over the city.
City engineer Uri Shetrit said that nearly all homes in the part of Silwan marked for demolition were built in violation of zoning regulations, and courts have already issued orders to tear down one-third of the 88 homes.
Palestinian officials warned that violence could flare over the demolitions. In the past, disputes over Jerusalem have triggered large-scale Israeli-Palestinian fighting. Mr. Shetrit said the area of Silwan targeted for demolition was declared a green zone by Israel in 1974. He said that all but seven of the 88 homes were built in the past 12 years and that the municipality has aerial photos to back up its assertions.
Palestinian homeowners maintain many of the houses were built at least 20 years ago.
Under city regulations, houses older than seven years cannot be demolished even if they were built without permits. Mr. Shetrit acknowledged that because of this provision, the city would not be able to destroy many of the homes. However, he said residents can be evicted from illegally built houses and that, despite the law, it would be easier to raze empty homes. The decision to demolish the houses was largely political, he added.
The demolition campaign is occurring at a time of growing Israeli-Palestinian tension over the fate of Jerusalem.
End the Blood shed and the Conflict, Palestinian State Now:
Once you have the Palestinian State in the Whole of the West Bank and Gaza. You are on the Road to Peace and the Israeli Arabs have a better chance of equality as the Jewish Settlers will have a better chance at Peace. After all what is wrong with the State of Israel with a Jewish majority and an Arab minority?....And what is wrong With Palestine with a Palestinian majority and a Jewish minority?....Nothing, if both nations were at Peace instead of One Group under the Brutal Occupation and Oppression of the Other.
Once you have a Palestinian State, the Israeli Arabs who do not like living in Israel can move to Palestine, Just like the Jewish settlers who do not like living in the West Bank and Gaza under Palestinian Rule can move to Israel Proper.
Do the right thing and Peace Will Follow......
Hypocrisy and double standard does not lead to peace, and people are not blind and they can see the truth as it really is.
Thirty-six years of war should be enough for such a small number of people, when you consider the World Population.
Allowing the Palestinian People to have their small state in the Whole of the West Bank and Gaza can solve this conflict.
There are 1,200,000 or so Arabs living inside Israel Proper.
There are 400,000 or so Jews living inside the West Bank and Gaza.
Trying to remove all the settlement can be an almost undoable task.
So Set the Borders for Israel to it Pre 1967 Border (Green Line) and have the State of Palestine inside the West Bank and Gaza.
If the U.N. can decide the Borders of Israel in 1948,
The U.N. can decide the Borders of Palestine in 2005.
You would end up with Israel with a majority Jewish Population and Palestine with a majority Muslim Population.
This would allow for the Israeli Military to Guard and Control the Israeli pre 1967 borders instead of confiscating Palestinian Land and Demolishing Palestinian Homes in the West Bank and Gaza that only goes to fuel the need for the Palestinian People to fight for their Freedom.
The Jews who do not like living in the new Palestinian State can feel free to move to Israel if they so choose.
The Arabs living inside Israel can feel free to move to the new Palestinian State if they so choose.
Almost every nation on earth has more then one ethnic group or religious group, so why not Israel and Palestine?
It would sure be better then the never-ending conflict we have right now.
Who has died and how in this struggle for Palestinian Freedom?
CLICK HERE > http://www.ifamericansknew.org/stats/deaths.html
BUT NOOOO.Arafat wanted to go out as a revolutionary and could not stomach a real peace deal. The Palestinians settled for the state of war that they have. They tolerated it, welcomed it and now live in a world of shit. Prior to the barak deal i would have agreed on some points, but they had their chance and blew it.
I won't pretend that the Israelis are total innocents. it's about a 70-30 split with the palestinians bearing the greater share of the blame. When they stop blowing up buses and killing ,kids, the Israelis stop rolling out the tanks. I do think the israeli govt. needs to get a handle on the ultraorthodox before they become too much of a problem.
The only just solution is a single, secular, egalitarian society in which it doesn't matter who your mother was or what name, if any, you use for deity. Until there is justice, there will be no peace.
Seeing as how they are 'brothers.'
Israel will be its own single society.
So, Palestinians are stateless.
If they shoudl "merge" with anyone, it should be Jordan, who they can get along with, not Israel, who they can't.
Of course, anyone educated is aware that in "Black September" a few decades ago, Jordan killed more Palestinians in a month than Israel has killed in 20 years. So, maybe not.
These people have been shit on for a long time and are partly to blame for the current situation. Why? Because they are being used as a tool to fuck with Israel. I have no great love or hate for either side in this. It became clear to all the surrounding countries that theywere not going to destroy Israel with their own armed forces. So far none have really done better than they did in 1973. But the Arabs in the refugee camps could make them bleed. And that was all that mattered. A school massacre here, a bus bombed there. It did not change the map, but was more dead jews. So here we are over 30 years later playing tit for tat and you all are buying into the propaganda. There are israeli peace activists and arab peace activists, but they are marginalized by those that want blood. I know that bad things are done by Israelis, I make no excuses or apologies for that. I do know worse are done by Hamas and others of their ilk.
If you want lionize Arafat, hezbolah, Hamas, don't leave out Bin Laden, Zarqawi, al qaeda, the Taliban and all the other great heroes.
They are all on equal footing.
Ignoring the West Bank and Gaza, Israel can be seen as having a government that favors one religious group more than others only slightly more than one sees that in the US or European countries (where peopel get Sunday off work and only Christain Hollidays are state hollidays where govrenment workers get the day off)
In terms of schisms in Israelis society there are divisions betwen Jews and nonJews but its questionable if they are larger than the divisions between the Orthodox and nonOrthodox, supporters of Likud vs Labor, secular citizens vs religious ciizens or the rich vs the poor. In terms of the role of government in enforcing division one would have to say that Israel (as well as all other countries) play their major role in terms of discrimination for one group and against another by favoring the rich (who get to live in nicer houses, get to work less.. ) over the poor by enforcing things like property rights and an allowing moeny to be passed down through famillies rather than allowing everyone to start out equal.
No, we will not ignore the West Bank and Gaza. They are under Israeli control and have been for generations. They are Israel in all but name.
>Israel can be seen as having a government that favors one religious group more than others only slightly
(1.) You are begging the question here. Jews are not a religious group. Jews are an ethnic group. If you're mother is a Jew, you are a Jew, no matter what religion you practice.
(2.) "Only slightly"!?! Even if this were true, so what? Any at all is too much.
A society in which are individuals are not equal before the law is an anathema to all who love justice and liberty, especially Americans. Americans would not stand for Jews only roads or land purchase restrictions based on ancestry, if they were attempted to be enforced in America. Why do we spend our tax money to support the in Israel?
Zeor Israeli homes have been demolished by Palestinians and 4,170 Palestinian homes have been demolished by Israel since September 29, 2000.
Why are they demolishing Palestinian homes and not Jewish homes?
For details:
CLICK HERE:> http://www.ifamericansknew.org/stats/homes.html
I know that palestinian arabs have demolished several Israeli homes, but the PA has really done nothing overt. To do so would seal their fate.
Don't side with one side over the other, but it's easy to see this is a racial war, a blood feud, that probably won't end in my lifetime.
The security wall is a great idea. How they lay it down is another matter. seperating the two groups permanently works wonders. They both need each other, but hate each other with a passion not often found in the US.
or maybe I'm just talking out of my ass again.
I won't condemn Israel, nor will I blindly cheerlead the Palestinian cause. They are no angels. Neither side is.
And yes it is a familial conflict. Both sides are semites. Racial, religious. There are some other issues, but that's the main reason this won't die anytime soon. It's too much fun to maim children and extract revenge. it's also easy to do.
LMAO!!!
LMFAO!!!!!!!!
See:
http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/06/1747200_comment.php#1747227
Israel is the nicest place to be in the mideast. Never saw open sewers, dead farm animals in the street or the other things that make Sadr City such a garden spot. It's not perfect, but a lot closer than the ARE, or Lebanon, Saudi,Syria.
Israels biggest problem after the Palestinians is the ultraorthodox. They may be her downfall.
You folks that want to bash Israel, I doubt if you ever have been there. Arab unity only exist in wanting the place destroyed. Not one regional nation wants the arab population of Palestine. They support it as little as possible. They do make good surrogate soldiers. it has been one of those have your cake and eat it too situations for decades. Egypt can benefit from trade with Israel and at the same time get a nice woody from seeing buses blow up.
I'm not jewish, nor do I condone some of the excesses committed by the IDF. I understand why they happen. I also understand why the young arab kids are so easy to persuade into a life of violence.
The question I pose to the ones that hate Israel so is why do you hold them to a different standard than other countries? Where is your outrage over Indonesian colonialism?
You can keep being a mouthpiece for someone elses propaganda or you can find out for yourself. Go there, live there for a few months.
LOL!!! Arab colonialists out of North Africa and Israel!!
My whole point is there are lots of shitty deals in the world. More than most of you really care to pretend to give a damn about. More print and airtime is given to how beastly the Israeli govt. is than anything else. I brought up Indonesia as an example. Irian Jara, Timor, and Malaysia have all been invaded by Indonesia. Moroco is a colonial state having latched onto the former Spanish Sahara. Polisario is still pissed about that. Poli-who? You can go down the list of all the groups that like to blow up kindergartens and name them fondly but don't know of a political group that has been fighting for independace for over 40 years. Sad.
How about Kosovo-Albania-Macedonia. Can you believe Albanian imperialists wanting a greater Albania?
Did I get off the subject again? I'm sorry, you were saying that the evil jews are keeping a brother down. i did try to point out that no other arab states really cares about the arabs living in Israel or the occupied territories. it's a good distractor from their domestic fuckups, but they really could care less.
BTW Aaron, thought you would like the pic of me at work above.
I do know the IDF can be heavy handed. I do know fucked up things happen. I do know the ultraorthodox assholes are the next biggest problem there. I do know that most of you could care less. Israel is your whipping boy. Something to make you feel good about hating at the end of the day. Does not make you a nazi. Does make you a racist.
That's not a rhetorical question. We want a real and honest answer. A simple "yes" or "no" will suffice. Be specific. Do they or don't they?
A friend of mine is a Palestinian, but he was born in Kuwait. living in Kuwait he has shit for rights.
As an Israeli citizen you should have all the protection of any other citizen, jew or non jew. If you have a specific legal question I can ask a lawyer friend.
Sorry, I won't post my email here. Don't trust the walking, talking erections out there to not spam or virus my PC to death.
Res 101 (Nov 24, 53): Expressed 'strongest censure' of Israel for the first time because of its raid on Qibya.
Res 106 (Mar 29, 55): Condemned Israel for Ghazzah raid.
Res 111 (Jan 19, 56): Condemned Israel for raid on Syria that killed 56 people.
Res 127 (Jan 22, 58): Recommended Israel to suspend its no-man's zone in Jerusalem.
Res 162 (Apr 11, 61): Urged Israel to comply with UN decisions.
Res 171 (Apr 9, 62): Determined 'flagrant violation' by Israel in its attack on Syria.
Res 228 (Nov 25, 66): Censured Israel for its attack on Samu in Jordan.
Res 237 (June 14, 67): Urged Israel to allow return of new 1967 Palestinian refugees.
Res 248 (Mar 24, 68): Condemned Israel for its massive attack on Karameh in Jordan.
Res 250 (Apr 27, 68): Called on Israel to refrain from holding military parade in Jerusalem.
Res 251 (May 2, 68): Deeply deplored Israel's military parade in Jerusalem and declared invalid Israel's acts to unify Jerusalem as its capital.
Res 256 (Aug 16, 68): Condemned Israeli raids on Jordan as 'flagrant violation'.
Res 259 (Sep 27, 68): Deplored Israel's refusal to accept UN mission to probe occupation.
Res 262 (Dec 31, 68): Condemned Israel's attack on Beirut airport destroying the entire fleet of Middle East Airlines.
Res 265 (Apr 1, 69): Condemned Israel for air attacks on Salt in Jordan.
Res 267 (July 3, 69): Censured Israel for administrative acts to change status of Jerusalem.
Res 270 (Aug. 26, 69): Condemned Israel for air attack on villages in southern Lebanon.
Res 271 (Sep 15, 69): Condemned Israel's failure to comply with UN resolutions on Jerusalem.
Res 279 (May 12, 70): Demanded withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon.
Res 280 (May 19, 70): Condemned Israeli attacks against Lebanon.
Res 285 (Sep 5, 70): Demanded immediate Israeli troop withdrawal from Lebanon.
Res 298 (Sep 25, 71): Deplored Israel's change of status of Jerusalem.
Res 313 (Aug 8, 72): Demanded Israel stop attacks against Lebanon.
Res 316 (June 26, 72): Condemned Israel for repeated attacks on Lebanon.
Res 317 (July 21, 72): Deplored Israel's refusal to release Arabs abducted from Lebanon.
Res 332 (Apr 21, 73): Condemned Israel's repeated attacks against Lebanon.
Res 337 (Aug 15, 73): Condemned Israel for violating Lebanon's sovereignty.
Res 347 (Apr 24, 74): Condemned Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
Res 425 (Mar 19, 78): Called on Israel to withdraw its forces unconditionally from Lebanon.
Res 427 (May 3, 78): Called on Israel to complete its withdrawal from Lebanon.
Res 444 (Jan 19, 79): Deplored Israel's lack of cooperation with UN peace forces.
Res 446 (Mar 22, 79): Determined Israeli settlements as a 'serious obstruction' to peace, and called on Israel to abide by the Geneva Conventions.
Res 450 (June 14, 79): Called on Israel to stop attacking Lebanon.
Res 452 (July 20, 79): Called on Israel to cease building settlements in occupied territories.
Res 465 (Mar 1, 80): Deplored Israel's settlements and asked all member States not to assist Israel's settlement programme.
Res 467 (Apr 24, 80): Condemned Israel's military intervention in Lebanon.
Res 468 (May 8, 80): Called on Israel to rescind illegal expulsion of two Palestinian Mayors and a Judge, and to facilitate their return.
Res 469 (May 20, 80): Strongly deplored Israel's failure to observe the Council's order not to deport Palestinians.
Res 471 (June 5, 80): Expressed deep concern at Israel's failure to abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Res 476 (June 30, 80): Reiterated that Israel's claims to Jerusalem are 'null and void'.
Res 478 (Aug 20, 80): 'Censured in the strongest terms' Israel for its claim to Jerusalem in its 'basic law'.
Res 484 (Dec 19, 80): Declared it imperative Israel re-admit two Palestinian mayors.
Res 487 (June 19, 81): Strongly condemns Israel for its attack on Iraq's nuclear facility.
Res 497 (Dec 17, 81): Decided Israel's annexation of Syria's Golan Heights is 'null and void' and demanded that Israel rescind its decision forthwith.
Res 498 (Dec 18, 81): Called on Israel to withdraw from Lebanon.
Res 501 (Feb 25, 82): Called on Israel to stop attacks against Lebanon and withdraw its troops.
Res 508 (June 6, 82): Demanded Israel withdraw its forces forthwith and un-conditionally from Lebanon.
Res 515 (July 29, 82): Demanded Israel lift its seige of Beirut and allow in food.
Res 517 (Aug 4, 82): Censured Israel for failing to obey UN resolutions and demanded Isreal withdraw its forces from Lebanon.
Res 518 (Aug 12, 82): Demanded Israel cooperate fully with UN forces in Lebanon.
Res 520 (Sep 17, 82): Condemned Israel's attack into West Beirut.
Res 573 (Oct 4, 85): Condemned Israel vigorously for bombing Tunisia in attack on PLO Headquarters.
Res 587 (Sep 23, 86): Took note of previous calls on Israel to withdraw its forces from Lebanon and urged all parties to withdraw.
Res 592 (Dec 8, 86): Strongly deplored the killing of Palestinian students at Bir Zeit University by Israeli troops.
Res 605 (Dec 22, 87): Strongly deplored Israel's policies and practices denying human rights of Palestinians.
Res 607 (Jan 5, 88): Called on Israel not to deport Palestinians and strongly requested it to abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Res 608 (Jan 14, 88): Deeply regreted that Israel had defied the UN and deported Palestinian civilians.
Res 636 (July 6, 89): Deeply regreted the Israeli deportation of Palestinians.
Res 641 (Aug 30, 89): Deplored Israel's continuous deportation of Palestinians.
Res 672 (Oct 12, 90): Condemned Israel for violence against Palestinians at Jerusalem's Haram Al-Sharif.
Res 673 (Oct 24, 90): Deplored Israel's refusal to cooperate with the UN.
Res 681 (Dec 20, 90): Deplored Israel's resumption of deportation of Palestinians.
Res 694 (May 24, 91): Deplored Israel's deportation of Palestinians and called on it to ensure their safe and immediate return.
Res 726 (Jan 1, 92): 'Strongly condemned' Israel's decision to resume deportation of Palestinians from 'Palestinian territories... including Jerusalem.'
Res 799 (Dec 19, 92): Deplored Israel's mass deportation of some 400 Palestinians and called for thir immediate return.
Vetoes cast by the United States to defend Israeli crimes:
Sep 10, 72: Condemned Israel's attacks on Southern Lebanon and Syria. Vote: 13 to 1 in favor with 1 abstention.
July 26, 73: Affirmed the rights of Palestinian people to self-determination, statehood and equal protections. Vote: 13 to 1 in favor with China absent.
Dec 8, 75: Condemned Israel's air strikes and attacks in southern Lebanon and its murder of innocent civilians. Vote: 13 to 1, with 1 abstention.
Jan 26, 76: Called for self-determination of Palestinian people. Vote: 9 to 1 with 3 abstentions.
Mar 25, 76: Deplored Israel's altering of the status of Jerusalem, which is recognised as an International city by most world nations and the United Nations. Vote 14 to 1.
June 29, 76: Affirmed the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. Vote: 10 to 1 in favour with 4 abstentions.
Apr 30, 80: Endorsed self-determination for the Palestinian people. Vote: 10 to 1 in favour with 4 abstentions.
Jan 20, 82: Demanded Israel's withdrawal from the Golan Heights. Vote: 9 to 1 in favour with 4 abstentions.
Apr 2, 82: Condemned Israel's mistreatment of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Ghazzah Strip and its refusal to abide by the Geneva Convention protocols of civilised nations. Vote: 14 to 1.
Apr 20, 82: Condemned an Israeli soldier who shot 11 Muslim worshippers in the Haram Al-Sharif near Al Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem. Vote: 14 to 1.
June 8, 82: Urged sanctions against Israel if it did not withdraw from its invasion of Lebanon. Vote: 14 to 1.
June 26, 82: Urged sanctions against Israel if it did not end its invasion of Beirut, Lebanon and withdraw. Vote: 14 to 1.
Aug 8, 82: Urged cut-off of economic aid to Israel if it refuses to withdraw from its occupation of Lebanon. Vote: 11 to 1 with 3 abstentions.
Aug 2, 83: Condemned continued Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Ghazzah Strip, denouncing them as an obstacle to peace. Vote 13 to 1 with 1 abstention.
Sep 6, 84: Deplored Israel's brutal massacre of Arabs in Lebanon and urged its withdrawal. Vote 14 to 1.
Mar 12, 85: Condemned Israeli brutality in southern Lebanon and denounced the Israeli 'Iron Fist' policy of repression. Vote: 11 to 1 with 3 abstentions. Sep 13, 85: Denounced Israel's violation of human rights in the occupied territories. Vote: 10 to 1 with 4 abstentions.
Jan 17, 86: Strongly deplored Israel's violence in southern Lebanon. Vote 11 to 1 with 3 abstentions.
Jan 30, 86: Deplored Israel's activities in occupied Arab East Jerusalem which threatened the sanctity of Muslim holy sites. Vote 13 to 1 with 1 abstention.
Feb 6, 86: Condemned Israel's hijacking of a Libyan passenger plane on 4 February. Vote: 10 to 1 with 1 abstention.
Jan 18, 88: Strongly deplored Israeli attacks against Lebanon and its measures and practices against the civilian population of Lebanon. Vote: 13 to 1 with 1 abstention.
Feb 1, 88: Called for Israel to abandon its policies against the Palestinian uprising that violate the rights of the Palestinians, to abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention and formalise a leading role for the UN in future peace negotiations. Vote: 14 to 1.
Apr 15, 88: Urged Israel to reaccept deported Palestinians, condemned Israel's shooting of civilians, called on Israel to uphold the Fourth Geneva Convention and called for a peace settlement under UN auspices. Vote: 14 to 1.
May 10, 88: Condemned Israel's May 2 incursion into Lebanon. Vote: 14 to 1.
Dec 14, 88: Strongly deplored Israel's commando raids on Lebanon. Vote: 14 to 1.
Feb 17, 89: Strongly deplored Israel's repression of the Palestinian uprising and called on Israel to respect the human rights of the Palestinians. Vote 14 to 1.
June 9, 89: Strongly deplored Israel's violation of the human rights of the Palestinians. Vote: 14 to 1.
Aug 11, 89: Demanded Israel return property confiscated from Palestinians during a tax protest and allow a fact-finding mission to observe Israel's crackdown on the Palestinian uprising. Vote: 14 to 1.
Mar 5, 90: Called for a fact-finding mission on abuses against Palestinians in Israeli occupied lands. Vote: 14 to 1.
(Sources: Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, Washington, DC)
[BACK TO SPECIAL EDITION]
NOTE TO READER: This was taken from the policy statement of the Jerusalem Municipal Authority which authorizes permits and regulates illegal construction.
ILLEGAL BUILDING
Jerusalem is a modern city where urban planning processes must be observed, as in any other city of the world. Town plans have been drawn up for every neighborhood, designating areas for residential and public building and open space. Applying for a permit is an even-handed, albeit lengthy and expensive process for all residents.
In western Jerusalem, building violations almost invariably consist of additions to a legal building, such as a room in a courtyard or an attic added in a roof space. Most residents accept the necessity of applying for a building permit.
In eastern Jerusalem, building violations typically take the form of whole buildings constructed without a permit which may be outside the designated area served by amenities such as water, sewage and electricity. Many residents do not accept that they should have to apply for a permit to build on land that they own.
Thus, demolitions in eastern Jerusalem are far more dramatic than in the western part of the city, even before the political level comes into play. Illegal building is demolished in west Jerusalem as well, but we have been unable to attract journalists to these demolitions.
Unfortunately, accurate information is not published in the media regarding house demolitions. The facts are as follows:
In 2000, 9 demolitions took place in East Jerusalem and 6 in West Jerusalem.
In 2001 there were 32 demolitions in East Jerusalem and 6 in West Jerusalem.
In 2002 there were 36 demolitions in East Jerusalem and 13 in West Jerusalem.
In 2003 there were 66 demolitions in East Jerusalem and 10 in West Jerusalem.
In 2004 (up to the beginning of March) there were 33 demolitions in East Jerusalem and 3 in West Jerusalem.
Illegal building is a widespread form of POLITICAL ACTION based on a refusal to accept the jurisdiction of the Municipality of Jerusalem in east Jerusalem. It is encouraged and in many cases financed by the Palestinian Authority.
DUE LEGAL PROCESS IS ALWAYS OBSERVED by the Municipality of Jerusalem, and where an illegal building is likely to receive a permit we do not demolish but encourage the owner to apply for a permit.
OUR POLICY IS NOT TO DEMOLISH BUILDINGS THAT ARE OCCUPIED. Demolitions take place at as early a stage of construction as possible. Most of the illegal buildings are for investment and are not the sole family home of poor people.
WE ONLY DEMOLISH BUILDINGS THAT STAND IN THE WAY OF PUBLIC WORKS such as a planned school or road, or interfere with the city's historical heritage.
IN MANY CASES THOSE BUILDING ILLEGALLY ARE NOT THE LEGAL OWNERS of the land on which they build. We have received complaints from actual (Arab) owners of land asking us to demolish buildings that others are constructing on their property. This anarchic state of affairs cannot be allowed to continue.
The Interior Ministry also has the authority to demolish buildings without reference to the Municipality. A small number of demolitions takes place each year; a case in point was the demolition in Tsur Baher, which was wrongly assumed to be our initiative and harmed our credibility with the residents.
BECKY: The 88 homes mentioned above and the "10-yr old mosque" have all been built illegally in the past 7 years. Israel has the aerial photos to prove it.
Lee Kaplan, the national director of Dafka wrote "The UN is an organization dominated by 23 Arab states, and is made up of 70% dictatorships. Resolutions get passed condemning Israel because they comprise a majority plus the oil weapons sometimes gets neutral nations to join them. The best example of the absurdity of this is that the UN Human Rights Commission is headed by Mohammar Gaddafi of Libya.
The UN has also voted in favor of suicide bombings being legal against only Israel, so such statistics are like saying Nazi Germany legally voted sanctions against Jews, ergo Jews deserve to be destroyed."
So your point that "zionists" use the UN when convenient is retarded.
Well done.