IMEMC, December 08, 2009

The Land Research Center (LRC) of the Arab Studies Society in Jerusalem reported that the Israeli authorities conducted 187 against Jerusalem in November, and demolished 14 Palestinians homes in addition to issuing orders to demolish 170 homes.

The center prepares and publishes its reports in cooperation with the Civil Coalition to Defend Palestinian Rights in Jerusalem.

The LRC stated that it documented 187 violations against East Jerusalem including 186 violations against the Palestinian natives of the city.

The Jerusalem Municipality demolished 14 Palestinians homes in the city; 7 in Silwan, 2 in Al Thoruy, 2 in Beit Hanina, 2 in Al Esawiyya and one in Jabal Al Mokabbir neighborhood. 122 Palestinians were rendered homeless.

A society for women in Silwan neighborhood in the Old City was also demolished.

The municipality also issued 170 orders to demolish Palestinian homes in occupied East Jerusalem; the orders target 60 homes in Jabal Al Mokabbir, 34 homes and 10 structures in Al Esawiyya, 25 homes in Beit Hanina, 22 homes in Samir Amis, 3 homes in Al Thoury, 3 homes in the Old City, and one home in Al Tour.

This came while Israeli settlers forced three families out of their homes in Sheikh Jarrah.

The Center stated that Israel has a plan to change the demography of Jerusalem by decreasing the percentage of Palestinians living in the city.
In 2000, the Jerusalem Municipality said that at maintaining a %78 majority for
the Jews in Jerusalem.

The LRC further reported that the Annexation Wall built around the city aims at annexing more Palestinian lands and isolating Jerusalemite Palestinians from their city.

An example of this issue is Al Esawiyya, Abu Dis, and Al Sawahra as the Annexation Wall isolated the three areas from Jerusalem although the neighborhoods are considered part of the Old City of Jerusalem.

This prevented the residents from having access to publish facilities, educational facilities and even hospitals.

On November 9, 2009, an 18-year-old from Al Z’ayyim neighborhood in east Jerusalem, died at an Israeli roadblock after the army prevented an ambulance from transferring him to Al Makassid Hospital.

The center added that the Israeli claim to 'temporarily freeze’ settlement activities in Jerusalem is fake as Israel is ongoing with its violations against the Palestinians and their homes while at the same time encouraging the settlers to occupy more Palestinian homes and to build illegal outposts.

LRC further said that the violations against Jerusalem are parallel to ongoing violations against the West Bank as Israel issued 825 orders targeting Palestinian homes since the beginning of 2009.

Israel also uprooted 14000 trees in the West Bank this year and act that directly violates the International Law and the Fourth Geneva Conventions.