Israel plans to cement its hold on Jerusalem

Israel plans to cement its hold on Jerusalem Mohammed Mar'i | Arab News

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4&section=0&article=122416&d=11&m=5&y=2009

RAMALLAH, West Bank: The Israeli government is working on a secret plan to surround the Old City of Jerusalem with nine national parks, pathways and tourist sites, drastically altering the status quo of the city. The daily Haaretz said that the plan, which was handed to the Jerusalem Development Authority (JDA) for implementation, is sponsored by the Prime Minister's Office and the mayor of Jerusalem and was not discussed in public. In a report presented to former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sept. 11 last year, the JDA described the purpose of the project as "to create a sequence of parks surrounding the Old City," with a view to strengthening Israel's claim to Jerusalem as its capital. According to a report by Ir Amim, a nonprofit Israeli organization dedicated to promoting Israeli-Palestinian coexistence in Jerusalem that exposed this detailed, confidential government plan, the motive of the plan is to create Israeli hegemony over the area around the Old City, "inspired by extreme right-wing ideology." "This program integrates with statutory program 11555, approved by the Jerusalem municipality in November 2007, and is designed to accelerate development (to six housing units per dunam, or some 24 units per acre) in one of the most important archeological sites in Israel. The array of escalators, cable cars and tunnels included in the plan portend blatant signs of a biblical playground populated by settler organizations," which Ir Amim says will be carried out by ousting Palestinian residents. "It's being done in a way that is opaque, with no public knowledge, without coordination with the churches or with the Muslim Waqf," said Daniel Seidemann, the Israeli attorney who founded Ir Amim. The plan could destabilize Jerusalem and is "an act of colossal irresponsibility," Seidemann added. The Israeli government says the new development will benefit all of Jerusalem's residents. An official in the prime minister's office noted that under Israeli control, people of all faiths have had access to their holy sites in the city. "The government will continue to develop Jerusalem, development that will benefit all of Jerusalem's diverse population and respect the different faiths and communities that together make Jerusalem such a special city," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity pending a formal statement from the government. The Jerusalem mayor's office had no immediate comment. Israel captured East Jerusalem, including the Old City, in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed it, a move not recognized by the international community. Palestinians hope to make East Jerusalem the capital of their future state. Jerusalem, with the conflicting claims to the city, is the most intractable issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The report came ahead of Pope Benedict XVI's first visit to Jerusalem. His visit could focus a spotlight on the dispute over the city. Palestinian activists have said they hope to use the papal visit to draw attention to their claims against Israel, including demolitions of Palestinian homes and construction of Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem. "Jerusalem cannot be the monopoly of one religion or one state," said Anglican priest Naim Ateek, a Palestinian activist. "We hope that the voice of the Pope is that Jerusalem must be shared." — With input from agencies