The Israeli occupation authorities continued their hostile policies in Jerusalem during the year 2005. In this regard, the Israeli municipality of occupied Jerusalem, in collaboration with the ministry of interior and its security apparatuses waged a fierce campaign against the Palestinian presence in Jerusalem leading to the demolition of tens of houses and the homelessness of hundreds of Palestinian families.
In the meanwhile, the Israeli authorities went on with constructing the Segregation Wall around the city of Jerusalem splitting apart Palestinian residential areas and cutting off Jerusalem from its immediate Palestinian environs and from the rest of the West Bank. At the same time, Israeli settlements which were illegally built around the city inside the West Bank territory were annexed to Jerusalem.
The aforementioned measures were accompanied by a series of serious acts, including:
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The announcement of the new Master Plan for the years 2000-2020 (Jerusalem Municipality Plan 2020) which aims at crossing out the city as an Arab Islamic and Christian city to guarantee the impossibility of making it a future Palestinian capital;
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The reactivation of the absentee property law to serve the interests of the occupation authorities;
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The reactivation of the Planning and reconstruction law number 512/5 for the year 1965 for the benefit of the Israeli occupation;
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The commencement of land registration – tabooing - in the names of Israeli settlers living in the old city of Jerusalem or in the settlements of Pisgat Ze'ev and Har Homa which, once again, proves the real Israeli intentions of Judaizing the city of Jerusalem.
Last year, The Land Research Center (LRC) documented the following house demolitions and violations in Jerusalem:
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First: 117 Palestinian houses in Jerusalem were destroyed with a total surface area of 10745 square meters and a total of 407 rooms. As a result, 454 Palestinians, including 231 children under the age of 18 were made homeless.
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Second: Dozens of other structures such as commercial stores, cisterns, retaining walls, farms …etc were also destroyed.
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Third: Millions of New Israeli Shekels were imposed as fines on Palestinian citizens of Jerusalem under the pretexts of violating building and construction laws.
LRC views the above practices as grave human rights violations and war crimes committed by the occupying power against the occupied people. LRC urgently calls on all international bodies, UN organizations and all peace loving persons to pressure Israel to immediately halt these practices, punish perpetrators and compensate victims.
Notice: detailed information will be circulated in the annual report on house demolition in Jerusalem during 2005 which will be issued later on.
Jerusalem
December 31st, 2005
