Maintaining a Jewish majority: ‘Israel’ to displace 550 Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem
Occupied Jerusalem (QNN)- Israeli authorities are pressing ahead with plans to demolish an entire Palestinian neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem, human rights NGO B’Tselem reported, which will leave 550 homeless.
Wadi Yasul, located between the neighbourhoods of Abu Tur and Silwan, is home to 72 Palestinian families.
the Jerusalem Municipality has “issued demolition orders for all the neighbourhood homes so all the families there are facing the threat of expulsion”, reported B’Tselem.
In late April, “the city already demolished two of the orders and displaced two of the families.”
The residents of Wadi Yasul built It is adjacent to a forest, also located on privately owned land that was expropriated from its Palestinian owners in 1970, according to B’Tselem.
In 2004, the neighborhood’s residents submitted a detailed plan to the District Planning and Building Committee for retroactive authorization of their homes, however the committee rejected the plan in 2008.
“ever since 1967, planning policy in Jerusalem has been geared toward establishing and maintaining a Jewish demographic majority in the city”, the NGO explained.
“Under this policy, it is nearly impossible to obtain a building permit in Palestinian neighbourhoods. The outline plans the city has prepared for these neighbourhoods are largely aimed at restricting and limiting building opportunities in Palestinian neighbourhoods.”
