Palestinian voters in east Jerusalem
Photo: Roee Nahmias
Israel says no plans yet to demolish Jerusalem homes
Palestinians in east Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan protest alleged planned eviction of neighborhood; municipality says park to be built in area but they have no plans to destroy Arab homes there
Israeli authorities in Jerusalem said on Tuesday they had no immediate plans to demolish scores of Arab homes in the east of the city but that they had designated the area for a park.
Palestinians said on Monday the Israeli-controlled municipality of Jerusalem was preparing to evict 1,500 Palestinians and demolish 88 homes in Jerusalem's Silwan district, in order to convert it into an open public space.
Tensions in east Jerusalem
Aviad Glickman
(Video) Mahmoud Shwiki and Balal Waari were convicted of reckless endangerment for stoning city inspectors' vehicle on Salah al-Din Street. Prosecution: Attack nationalistically-motivated
Ahead of next week's visit by new US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Palestinian officials are seeking support against what they say are Israeli plans to drive Arabs from the city and cut off east Jerusalem from territory on which they hope to establish a Palestinian state.
City officials said there were no immediate plans to evict Palestinians from Silwan or demolish any homes, but Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, confirmed in a statement the area was scheduled for use as a recreational area.
The city's deputy mayor, Naomi Tsur, said that Barkat's administration, elected in November, was working on a zoning plan for the area but vowed first to seek an "understanding with all the residents of the city".
Silwan, a mostly Palestinian neighbourhood next to Jerusalem's old walled city and its holy sites, has been a flashpoint of conflict.
US special envoy George Mitchell was due in the region for talks ahead of Clinton's planned visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories on March 3rd.
Rafiq al-Husseini, chief of staff for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, took foreign diplomats on a tour on Tuesday of another disputed settlement zone near Jerusalem, known as E1. "If the Israelis continue with this settlement policy in and outside of east Jerusalem then there cannot be peace at all," Husseini said of the E1 plan.
Palestinians say the plan could prevent the creation of a contiguous Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
