Mayor of Jerusalem Nir Barkat plans to demolish Palestinian homes for park

[bemildred]

Scores of Palestinian homes in one of Jerusalem’s most volatile neighbourhoods will need to be demolished to make way for a parks project under plans unveiled yesterday by the city’s Israeli mayor.

More than 88 homes in the Arab-dominated Silwan valley area of the city are scheduled to be removed to make way for a tourist centre. The plan has been criticised by Palestinians and the United Nations.

Nir Barkat, the mayor of Jerusalem, has now opened the plan up to “debate” with the area’s Palestinian residents after an intervention by the Israeli Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu.

Silwan is designated a "flashpoint" area by Israeli authorities — and with tensions already running high in East Jerusalem following rioting in several neighbourhoods last weekend, there are concerns that the plan could lead to further violence.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article7047411.ece

[Submariner]

1. So....if Silwan is designated a "flashpoint" area by Israeli authorities

it doesn't seem prudent to throw gasoline on an already raging fire. Stay classy Mayor.

[AnOhioan]

2. Way to deal with them pesky Palestians

The Mayor is a "grade A" idiot.

[oberliner]

3. ...and plans to provide free newly constructed housing for those Palestinians

Residents would be relocated during the construction and then moved into new multi-story apartment buildings, built along the park’s edges, which would also include shops, restaurants, art galleries and a large community center complete with day care facilities and gyms.

http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=170061

[Violet_Crumble]

6. The article said nothing about free housing n/t

[bemildred]

4. Netanyahu intervenes in sensitive Jerusalem project

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, citing concern over Israel's international image, persuaded Jerusalem's mayor on Tuesday to put on hold any demolition of Palestinian homes in a municipal tourism project.

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad condemned the project as another attempt by Israel to cement its claim to all of Jerusalem, and urged the international community to stop Israel from carrying it out.

The United States praised Netanyahu's move, saying the two sides appeared to be closer to resuming peace negotiations that have been frozen for more than a year and it did not want either to do anything to derail their possible resumption.

Israel captured East Jerusalem in a 1967 war and considers the entire city its indivisible and eternal capital, a claim that has not won international recognition.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62158B20100302

[classysassy]

5. " Fear makes cowards of us all "

The fear of losing their cushy jobs cause the cowards in Washington to cow tow to every Israeli demand, and when they do the right thing they are heaped with praise.Its time for our government to back the UN in their effort to remove the Israeli settlers from Palestinian land and to remove their troops from all Palestinian land.