-
Jerusalem group pledges support to Palestinians who refuse to comply with Israeli demolition orders
- Jun 15, 2009 at 12:17 AM
- By
- Comments (3) Total Views (62) Everyone can see this journal post.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5695
Jerusalem / Maisa Abu Ghazaleh for PNN - The Israeli mayor of Jerusalem who campaigned on the promise to “create more housing for Jews in East Jerusalem” issued home demolitions against another 160 Palestinians.
This week an entire apartment building was ordered destroyed. The eight units in East Jerusalem belong to the Abu El Hawa family.
For 17 years the apartment building has stood in East Jerusalem where 60 Palestinians live, including children.
The Abu El Hawa family received the judicial demolition order on Sunday, and went immediately to appeal the decision.
The Israeli controlled Jerusalem municipality also issued demolition orders against 13 other apartments in East Jerusalem’s Beit Hanina claiming that the Palestinian owners do not have Israeli-issued permits for the building, however receiving a permit as a Palestinian is nearly impossible.
The 13 Beit Hanina apartments are home to 100 Palestinians and the destruction comes as part of a larger policy to change facts on the ground and preclude Jerusalem, fait acompli, from final status negotiations
Israeli settlers often take the place of Palestinians in houses under forced eviction or on lands that were cleared by demolition. In other cases homes are being cleared for religious installations that give the illusion that Palestinians were never there such as the case in Silwan’s Al Bustan being cleared for a “City of David.” The stones of destroyed homes are sometimes being taken and sold, further erasing Palestinian culture and heritage, noted the Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs last month.
The Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs says that the demolition orders are a precursor to obtaining judicial warrants.
The Palestinian nonviolent resistance group that employs political and direct action, the Coalition for Jerusalem, is asking that citizens affected by the Israeli policy to refuse. The Coalition says it will provide legal and financial support to families who refuse to comply with the judicial decisions of the occupation courts which will expose “the Zionist method of occupying Jerusalem through documenting cases and decisions of the courts.”
In a statement the Coalition noted the above points along with the following:
3 – That the cancelling of all demolition orders and a freeze on their being further implemented is a requirement of any return to negotiations.
4 – The need to move away from a culture of resentment and become aligned to the needs and requirements of the people living with these confrontations in Jerusalem.
5 - Work to coordinate the efforts of official institutions (the presidency and the government) with the efforts made by civil society organizations in Jerusalem.
6 – Calling on international jurisdiction to deal with the practices of the occupation that violate international law dealing with civilians in a time of war.
The Coalition for Jerusalem believes in the right of the unity of our people, and will defend the natural right to live on our land away from the constant threat of the bulldozer.
The Coalition also demands that the policies of occupation practices against the culture of the Palestinians stop in their entirety.
Already a member? Click here to log in
Check out some of the top posts today in Groups:
The Palestinian nonviolent resistance group that employs political and direct action, the Coalition for Jerusalem, is asking that citizens affected by the Israeli policy to refuse. The Coalition says it will provide legal and financial support to families who refuse to comply with the judicial decisions of the occupation courts which will expose “the Zionist method of occupying Jerusalem through documenting cases and decisions of the courts.”
I think this is a step in the right direction! Non-violent attempt at exposing the Zionists- I hope it works and I hope those people are able to keep their homes.