Border Guard in east Jerusalem
Photo: Reuters
Franco: No way to stop stone-throwing
Photo: Gil Yohanan
MK Hasson. 'Hysterical'
Photo: Dudi Vaaknin
UN official: 45% rise in home demolitions
Humanitarian official in Palestinian territories says rise in home demolitions in east Jerusalem 'raises concerns regarding to Israel’s obligations under international law' while MKs debate Palestinian stone-throwing in capital
A UN official expressed concern Wednesday over a rise in demolitions of east Jerusalem homes.
Gaylard issued a statement saying that the 45% increase in home demolitions over the past year "raises serious concerns with regard to Israel’s obligations under international law".
Maxwell Gaylard, the UN humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories, visited a home in Ras al-Amud, in east Jerusalem, which was demolished by security forces because it had been built illegally.
Racial Aggression
Border Guard officers use pepper spray on e. Jerusalem bus passengers, when 14-year-old boy fails to show ID. "How can we maintain order when police abuse us?' Issawiya mayor Darwish Musa Darwish asks. 'Those under 16 must carry birth certificate,' police say
He said the fact that the 13 residents of the home had not been afforded alternative housing was especially concerning.
"These actions have a severe social and economic impact on the lives and welfare of Palestinians and increase their dependence on humanitarian assistance," Gaylard said.
"The position of the United Nations remains that the Government of Israel must take immediate steps to cease demolitions and evictions in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem."
Homes destroyed in al-Amud (Photo: Reuters)
'Jewish militias working in Jerusalem'
The issue of Jerusalem sparked controversy Wednesday morning in a meeting of the Knesset's Internal Affairs Committee. Jerusalem District Police Commander Aharon Franco admitted that stone-throwing could not be totally prevented in the capital.
"We are flattening the graph, but we can't take it down to zero," he told MKs present at the meeting on prevention of rioting at the holy sites.
"Recently there has been an average of around 500 such incidents a year, and we have so far filed indictments against 70 Palestinians," Franco said.
But MK Israel Hasson (Kadima)was dissatisfied. "I came here concerned, and I'm leaving in a near hysterical state," he said. "We cannot accept such a situation in Jerusalem and the Western Wall."
MK Jamal Zahalka (Balad) had an explanation, saying that Palestinians in east Jerusalem were throwing stones due to frustration. "They can see that Jews are trying to take the city away from them and Judaize it at their expense," he said.
In response to an offer to establish a neighborhood watch Zahalka said, "Jewish militias are already at work in Jerusalem, like the Housing Ministry's guards working in Silwan." Right-wing MKs responded to this comment by calling him "an enemy of Israel".
"I've been in Jerusalem for 4,000 years – get out of here!" yelled MK Arieh Eldad (National Union). He was called "a racist fascist" in response.
But Eldad went on to say that the police were ignoring the true culprits behind the "stone and firebomb terror", whose identity he did not describe.
"There is a guiding hand behind the rioters. This is not the local initiative of a few wayward teens. Israel's sovereignty must be fully implemented in Jerusalem its capital in order to stop the Arabs from taking it over."
Ronen Medzini contributed to this report
- Follow Ynetnews on Facebook
