LRC have been reporting the aggressions against Maman Allah cemetery often in the last few months; the cemetery which is one of the oldest in Palestine.Its total area was around 200 dunums; only 20 remains these days and the Israelis intend to wipe it off. Hotels, parking lots, and a public part were all built on the ruins of the cemetery and the corrupted graves. Nowadays, the Israelis have started implementing a plan to build the ‘Forgiveness’ Museum, a museum to be built over the remains of the dead.
In addition, the Israelis tend to build an Israeli Courts compound; the unjust courts that were unfair to the dead and oppressing the living. The aggressions against the cemetery have been going on for three years now; more than 30 aggressions including, digging, breaking, and destroying graves were recorded.
On June 25, 2011, more than 100 graves were destroyed under the protection and supervision of the Israeli Police; the digging campaign lasted for around 3 hours. The Israeli occupation Municipality in Jerusalem granted an Israeli company permission to start the construction of the museum over 6000 m2 above and under ground. The purpose of the wide Israeli assault on the occupied city is forging history and putting facts on the ground. They [the Israelis] continue demolition houses, confiscating lands and plowing them. More dangerously, they intend to manipulate the Islamic and Arabic heritage of the city and claim that it is theirs.
In July, 2011, LRC published a detailed reports on the aggressions recorded in June, 2011, the Israeli Occupation committed 25 violations against Palestinians residing in the Holy City. 9 of these violations were committed against the right to residency, demolition orders were issued besides Israeli colonists tried to seize a house. The Israeli Supreme Court rejected the alternative Organizational plan presented by Al Bustan Neighborhood residents in an attempt to save their homes.
The colonists are trying to urge the Municipality to demolish Al Fatih Mosque in Ras al Amoud, Silwan. The Israeli Occupation Civil Administration threatened to demolish the only toilet in An Nabi Samuel School. On the other hand, Israeli diggings and excavation in Sultan Solomon Street have been taking place in order to build a new parking lot.
In addition, diggings near Solomon Cave to construct public toilets for visitors of the site have been conducted. The Israelis intend to alter the shape of the Umayyad Palaces and changing its name to ‘the Temple Shape’. Pizgat Ze’ev colonists set 20 olive trees alight as part of their aggressions against the Palestinians and their properties.
In regard to colonization and confiscation, LRC recorded numerous aggressions in June, 2011, these included:
- A plan intended to change the names of streets, neighborhoods, and avenues and giving them Jewish names, Silwan to ‘Shiloh’, Wadi Hilwa to ‘City of David’, etc.
- Changing the names of parcels and landmarks to confuse the Arab owners in an attempt to making follow up of the land statues a more difficult task.
- Amending 550 dunums of Wadi Yasoul lands.
- Building 1600 colonial units over lands confiscated from the Arab town of Sur Baher.
- Laying foundation for 24 colonial units to be added to Beit Urut colony in ‘As Suwwana’ in At Tur.
- The Israelis have started laying foundation for 32 colonial units to be built over the ruins of the recently demolished Shepherd Hotel.
The Israelis are becoming obsessed with ‘security’ although it is clear that they are concerned with adding more limitations to the Palestinians lives and violating their privacy.
In June, 2011, and despite the existence of surveillance airships roaming the skies of Jerusalem, police helicopters, thousands of troops, barbered wires and fences, watch towers, and the segregation wall; all of this did not seem enough which made them add hundreds of CCTV cameras all around the city.
Israeli colonists transgress the Occupied City of Jerusalem while commemorating the conquest of the eastern part by organizing provocative marches, demonstrations and celebrations accompanied by thousands of Israeli troops assigned for the protection of such demonstrations.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
The Land Research Center
LRC
