New video explores Israel’s strategy toward occupied East Jerusalem

Ramallah, 11 Rabi’ul Awwal 1438/11 December 2016 (MINA) – A new video by the Negotiations Affairs Department titled “East Jerusalem: Israel’s Colonial Project Unraveled,” said Israel’s policy in the city since its June 1967 occupation is three fold: creating a Jewish majority, reducing Palestinian presence and isolating East Jerusalem and dividing it from its West Bank parts.

The 2:43-minute tape described this policy as “a policy of special colonial segregation enforced by Israel’s settlement enterprise,” WAFA quoted  by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

The video (Link) said Israel turned 35 percent of the area of East Jerusalem into land for settlement construction and left only 13 percent of the area for Palestinian construction leaving a severe housing crisis and forcing many Palestinians to build without a permit.

It said a total of 3,500 homes were demolished under the pretext of being built without permit and around 25,000 more are slated for demolition under the same pretext leaving 100,000 Palestinians at risk of displacement.

Israel also revoked residency status from 14,500 Palestinians from East Jerusalem under all sorts of pretexts, while it built thousands of housing units for settlers and opened bypass roads for them through Palestinian land.

This policy created a Jewish settlement population of 100,000 in East Jerusalem in addition to 200,000 in the western side of the city, in comparison to 300,000 Palestinians with Jerusalem residency, including 100,000 who live outside a 240 kilometer long concrete wall and fence built to separate Israel and occupied East Jerusalem from the West Bank.

“Colonized, impoverished and segregated.” With these words the Negotiations Affairs Department video concluded its narrative of the future facing occupied East Jerusalem and its Palestinian residents. (T/R05/R07)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)