RADWAN: ISRAEL ESCALATES JUDAIZATION ACTIVITIES IN JERUSALEM
Jerusalem, 24 Muharram 1435 / 28 November 2013 (MINA) – The Minister of Religious Affairs, Ismail Radwan, said in a statement on Tuesday the opening of a new Jewish museum beneath Al-Aqsa Mosque is part of an advanced Israeli scheme to Judaize Al-Aqsa Mosque and the surrounding area.
Radwan’s statement came after the Israeli occupation TV unveiled the opening of the a new Museum under Al Aqsa Mosque, ALRAY, Palestinian Media Agency quoted by Mi’raj News Agency (MINA) as reporting.
Radwan said “We must move urgently to stop the Israeli actions”, and called on the Palestinian people in Jerusalem to steadfast the occupation arrogance.
Radwan also asked the Palestinian factions to take immediate actions to discuss the risks the Israeli ongoing schemes. He also called on the Muslim scholars to hole the responsibilities in light of Arab and Muslim silence.
Palestinians protest against Israel settlement plan
Palestinians have staged a protest rally in the occupied West Bank to condemn the Israeli settlement building in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The demonstrators on Monday marched into the settlement of Ma’ale Adumim, which is considered one of the largest Israeli settlements.
Israeli forces were deployed to break up the protest while the troops fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the protesters, while making several arrests.
Israeli Daily Ha’aretz reported that Tel Aviv gave the green light to the construction of about 830 new settler units on Sunday.
The new units include 409 in the settlement of Givat Ze’ev, located north of East Jerusalem.
Thirty units will be constructed in the settlement of Shiloh and the rest will be built at the Nofei Prat outpost in the settlement of Kfar Adumim.
The new plan comes less than two weeks after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to suspend plans to build 24,000 more homes in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
The presence and continued expansion of Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine has created a major obstacle for the efforts made to establish peace in the Middle East.
More than half a million Israelis live in over 120 illegal settlements built since Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank in 1967.
The United Nations and most countries regard the Israeli settlements as illegal because the territories were captured by Israel in a war in 1967 and are hence subject to the Geneva Conventions, which forbid construction on occupied lands.
On November 19, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman told the Security Council that the talks between Israelis and Palestinians suffered “a significant setback” as a result of a series of recent Israeli announcements of settlement plans in the West Bank and Jerusalem. (T/P02/E1)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
