Miliband: UK worried about Jerusalem demolitions

UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband expressed concern on Thursday at Israel's plans to demolish scores of Palestinian houses in east Jerusalem.

"We view with real concern the proposed demolitions in east Jerusalem," Miliband told a joint news conference in Amman with his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh.

Israel in February ordered hundreds of Palestinians to leave their homes in east Jerusalem, warning that 90 houses would be destroyed because they are illegal.

"Jerusalem should be the capital of both the Palestinians and Israel," Miliband said.

About 250,000 Palestinians live in east Jerusalem, which Israel seized in the 1967 Six Day War and later annexed.

Palestinian officials say the demolitions, if they go ahead, would deprive more than 1,000 people of their homes and mark the largest destruction of Palestinian property in east Jerusalem since 1967.

Miliband with Jordan's King Abdullah II (Photo: Reuters)

"The position of the United Kingdom is very clear. The issue of Jerusalem is obviously central ... it has great explosive and dangerous power to divide people," Miliband warned.

The UK foreign secretary is in Jordan on a one-day trip during which he held talks with King Abdullah II and Prime Minister Nader Dahabi that mainly focused on the Middle East peace process.

"Europe has a key role to play in supporting Palestinian-Israeli peace talks and help establish peace in the region," a palace statement quoted the king as telling Miliband, who is visiting the kingdom for the first time.

Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994.

Meanwhile, Ynet has learned that the American administration sent a letter to Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat protesting the municipality's plans to demolish dozens of houses in the Silwan neighborhood.

An Arab source told Ynet that the letter came in response to an earlier letter sent by Barkat to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, replying to her criticism of the demolition plan.

The source said that the US government disputed in the letter the data provided by Barkat regarding the destruction plans.

A spokesman for Barkat denied the report and said that "the Jerusalem Municipality operates under Mayor Barkat's instructions in full transparency of all municipal systems.

"Data regarding the demolition of houses built illegally all over the city are public information that has been provided in the past and will be provided in the future to anyone who is interested, and we know of no controversy about them."

Ali Waked contributed to the report