Jun 13 2016
Occupied East Jerusalem Needs to Be Free
By Daoud Kuttab
In its attempt to force itself on the Palestinians of Jerusalem, the Israeli government and various Israeli radical groups have an arsenal of actions, activities and slogans all with the same purpose.
Unable to remove Palestinians from Jerusalem or wrestle total control over the holy city, various attempts are made to make the city more Jewish and to try to negate the Palestinian presence in the city. The Israeli prime minister’s office and a US tax exempt charity have been exposed as being financial supporters of the controversial right wing march in the Palestinian communities of East Jerusalem.
Christian and Muslim worshipers and leaders are regularly made to feel inferior in their city.
While some of the more flagrant, provocative, actions are usually blamed on the more radical right-wing Jewish elements, a quick review of the actions and words of Israeli government and municipal officials shows little difference from the radicals.
The Israeli mayor of Jerusalem walks around the Old City brandishing a weapon and wants to unilaterally remove some 200,000 Palestinians from 27 villages that are part of the city’s municipal boundaries. Continue Reading »