freepalestine
7th June 2010, 16:43
East Jerusalem locals fear mass demolition imminent
Published yesterday (updated) 07/06/2010 17:25
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Jerusalem – Ma'an – More than a dozen Israeli police were seen taking photos and film footage of Palestinian homes in the Al-Bustan neighborhood of East Jerusalem, sparking fears that Israeli officials plan to enact a mass demolition plan in the coming weeks.
Residents said police filming was observed from the roads leading into the area, and officers with recording equipment were seen throughout the neighborhood, sparking localized clashes in some quarters, as young men and teens threw stones on the military officials.
Head of the Defend Al-Bustan committee Fakhri Abu Diab said residents were terrified that the filming meant local authorities had decided to implement a long-standing plan to demolish some 88 homes in the neighborhood and turn it into a national park.
When asked about the purpose for the filming, an Israeli police spokesman said it was within the rights of police to film whenever and wherever was necessary "for security purposes."
News conferences announcing the demolitions by Israel's Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barakat were postponed twice in the spring, as residents and a committee of planners pushed a plan to revitalize the neighborhood that would include zero forced home demolitions, zero evictions and substantially increased greenspace for the area.
12 neighborhood men detained
The filming followed what residents called a large-scale arrest campaign in Silwan on Sunday morning, with 12 identified my local residents as having been taken by Israeli police from their homes.
Local officials and family members identified those taken as:
Brothers Imad and Mohammad Khalil Al-A’basi
Mohammad Abed Auda
Khalil Abed Auda
Saleh Samir Sarhan
Ahmad Sarhan
Khaled Ar-Rajabi
And four members of the Al-A’wer family
A spokesman for the Israeli national police said he was unaware of any arrests in the neighborhood.
Family members in the homes as the arrests occurred said police told their sons and husbands that they were being detained for protest action during the preceeding week, when several clashes broke out between Palestinian residents and settlers in the area.
http://maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=290092
Published yesterday (updated) 07/06/2010 17:25
http://maannews.net/eng/images/ViewDetails/Eng-1.jpg http://maannews.net/eng/images/ViewDetails/Eng+1.jpg
http://maannews.net/images/PhotoViewer/77875.jpg
Jerusalem – Ma'an – More than a dozen Israeli police were seen taking photos and film footage of Palestinian homes in the Al-Bustan neighborhood of East Jerusalem, sparking fears that Israeli officials plan to enact a mass demolition plan in the coming weeks.
Residents said police filming was observed from the roads leading into the area, and officers with recording equipment were seen throughout the neighborhood, sparking localized clashes in some quarters, as young men and teens threw stones on the military officials.
Head of the Defend Al-Bustan committee Fakhri Abu Diab said residents were terrified that the filming meant local authorities had decided to implement a long-standing plan to demolish some 88 homes in the neighborhood and turn it into a national park.
When asked about the purpose for the filming, an Israeli police spokesman said it was within the rights of police to film whenever and wherever was necessary "for security purposes."
News conferences announcing the demolitions by Israel's Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barakat were postponed twice in the spring, as residents and a committee of planners pushed a plan to revitalize the neighborhood that would include zero forced home demolitions, zero evictions and substantially increased greenspace for the area.
12 neighborhood men detained
The filming followed what residents called a large-scale arrest campaign in Silwan on Sunday morning, with 12 identified my local residents as having been taken by Israeli police from their homes.
Local officials and family members identified those taken as:
Brothers Imad and Mohammad Khalil Al-A’basi
Mohammad Abed Auda
Khalil Abed Auda
Saleh Samir Sarhan
Ahmad Sarhan
Khaled Ar-Rajabi
And four members of the Al-A’wer family
A spokesman for the Israeli national police said he was unaware of any arrests in the neighborhood.
Family members in the homes as the arrests occurred said police told their sons and husbands that they were being detained for protest action during the preceeding week, when several clashes broke out between Palestinian residents and settlers in the area.
http://maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=290092