Expert: Israel Aims to Change Geography, Demographics of East Jerusalem

Ramallah, MINA – A Palestinian expert on settlements in the occupied territories said the Israeli settlement project in occupied East Jerusalem or Al-Quds aims to change the geography and demographics of the city.

Suheil Khalilieh, Director of the settlement monitoring unit at the Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem (ARIJ) said Israel wants to control as much of East Jerusalem land as possible by leveraging the powers given to the officials in charge. Right-wing settlers have control of a thousand properties in East Jerusalem.

“Israeli officials have started manipulating property classifications in East Jerusalem to control it through settlement projects,” he said as quoted from Wafa on Tuesday.

The ARIJ expert commented on a report that appeared in the Israeli daily Haaretz which spoke of plans to build settlements in the occupied part of the holy city and completely change the character and identity of the city.

Khalilieh stressed that the Israeli occupation has designated many areas of East Jerusalem as green areas and others as public parks and later changed its classification.

He explained these areas are mostly in the Old City and around Jerusalem. Their ownership was quickly transferred to the settlement association without the knowledge of the Palestinian owners.

The expert explained that the Israeli occupation wants to redraw the borders of Jerusalem from outside and inside, especially in the “holy basin”, the area around Jerusalem’s Old City in order to seize it and expel its rightful owners.

Khalilieh said Israel was also currently trying to evacuate the industrial zone in the Wad al-Joz area, which is part of the holy basin. This would lead to the destruction of 200 industrial facilities held for decades by the Palestinians.

The Israeli project at the Damascus Gate, he added, aims to completely seal off the area from Palestinians and the “holy basin” area will be turned into a settlement project after obliterating its Arab landmarks.

Khalilieh stressed that this issue is completely political and Israel is a race against time to create a faith accommodation in East Jerusalem that will give it a greater presence in the occupied city.

He said there are three Jewish moguls who paid large sums of money to settlement organizations, especially those who worked to change the character of occupied East Jerusalem, seize land and build Palestinian real estate, namely, Sheldon Adelson, Irving Moscowitz, and Roman Abramovich.

Therefore, Khalilieh stressed the importance of strengthening and maintaining a Palestinian presence in Jerusalem. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)