The joint statement follows the destruction early Wednesday in Sheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem, of the house of Mahmoud Salhiya.
Jan. 27, 2014: Ruins of the two-family house in East Jerusalem of Fatenah and ‘Azzam Idris and their relatives, demolished by the Israeli Jerusalem Municipality. (‘Amer ‘Aruri, B’Tselem, Wikimedia Commons)
Foreign ministries of several European countries including France, Germany, Italy and Spain issued a joint statement on Wednesday asking Israeli authorities to stop the construction of new settlements inside occupied East Jerusalem and end the demolitions of Palestinian structures in the occupied territories.
The brief joint statement asked Israel to reverse its decision to build new housing units inside occupied East Jerusalem, arguing that “the new housing units would further disconnect the West Bank from East Jerusalem and constitute an additional obstacle to the Two-State solution.”
Expressing concern over Israel’s continued acts of forceful demolition of Palestinians houses in Sheikh Jarrah, the countries asked Israel to “permanently halt eviction and demolition procedures of Palestinian structures in the city as well as in Area C.”
Area C is the biggest part of the occupied West Bank and directly under Israeli control, where Israel has built hundreds of illegal settlements. A similar statement was issued by James Cleverly, the U.K. minister for Middle East and North Africa, on his Twitter handle.
In Sheikh Jarrah, Israeli authorities demolished the house of Mahmoud Salhiya in the early morning of Wednesday, rendering members of his family homeless. Israeli authorities claimed that they planned to build a new school at the location of the house, where the Salhiya family was settled by the UN since they were displaced during the Nakba in 1948.
Demolition of the Salhiya family house has been met with widespread international condemnation. Some have called it a war crime since an occupying force, Israel must maintain the status quo in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Israeli police forcibly removed and demolished the property of this Palestinian family in Sheikh Jarrah, occupied East Jerusalem ?? pic.twitter.com/t5bGEwiZoA
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) January 20, 2022
Earlier this month, Israeli authorities approved construction of nearly 3,500 new homes for Jewish settlers in East Jerusalem. Most of these units will be constructed as part of the extension of existing illegal Israeli settlements, Givat HaMatos and Har Homa, in the city.
Under international pressure, Israel announced in December the postponement of a plan to build 9,000 new housing units for Jewish settlers at East Jerusalem’s old international airport, near its former military air base and the Palestinian village of Qalanda.
Despite facing international criticism, Israel has been gradually implementing a policy of Judaization of East Jerusalem since it illegally annexed the city in 1980.
Sept. 23, 2012: Pro-Israeli settlements demonstrators, dressed in white, in march through East Jerusalem. (Tal King, Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0)
Despite a ban on such moves under international law, Israel has confiscated nearly 57 percent of the territory and forcefully displaced thousands of Palestinians living in the city for generations to build illegal Jewish settlements. In order to create a Jewish majority in the city, Israel has also modified the boundaries of the Jerusalem municipality to include larger illegal Jewish settlements located in the occupied West Bank into the city. There are nearly 300,000 illegal settlers living in the city today.
This article is from Peoples Dispatch.
Morally western powers have reached rock bottom. They are just evil without moral values.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus rebuked Peter after he had cut off Malchus’ ear with his sword with the words “all who draw the sword will die by the sword.” Israel really needs to figure out a way to get along with their neighbors in peace and harmony with appropriate freedom and respect for all.
Not doing this may well hasten a “come to Jesus” moment for Israel at some time.
Can there even be a two state solution at this point or is one state with equal human rights for all citizens the only answer possible now?
Why should Israel care about what people think? It seems to have a blank slate to do anything it wants. This has been going on since 1948. It’s common knowledge that Israel has nuclear weapons but since they have not admitted it, there is no discernible pressure to get it to come clean. Yet, western nations headed by the US are jumping up and down about Iran’s nuclear program. Oddly, the Holocaust remains the biggest weapon Israel has to combat dissent.
Its not too odd but it sure is disturbing. Especially since anti semitism is growing in leaps and bounds and the USA/world Corporatocracy would not particularly care if it never stopped increasing. It diverts us fron the truth. The New World Order is owning us with this divide and divert policy…and we really can’t have another Holocaust. All the world’s good people must end this scourge of horrible political policy in America’s Middle East outpost and how this country treats people it deems inferior. It must happen here too.
Amen to all of the above. This ‘expression of concern’ undoubtedly has the powers that be in Israel quaking in their boots./sarc
…and if you question this action you automatically are guilty of “anti-semitism.” LUDICROUS, IN SPADES.
Give me a break. Israel doesn’t want any 2 state solution. Israel wants all of Palestine for Jews only.
This is it, always has been. Just keep moving the facts on the ground while screaming antisemitism until you have it all.
There seems to be nothing the “West” claims to do which stops the violent,illegal, cruel behaviour of Israel,yet to mention it makes you “antisemitic”, the worst crime on earth.
Actions are loudet than words cowards. Stop trying to criminalise BDS and stop selling Israel weapons.