Saturday, May 12, 2007

The ethnic cleansing of Jerusalem continues

I wrote about this yesterday for Aljazeera's website, but I'm still disappointed (should I even be surprised anymore?) that is has not gained as much media attention, as, say, a certain mickey-mouse-like show in Gaza. But I guess that's because we're heartless, violent thugs who only want Israel's destruction. Israel, on the other hand, builds things on Palestinian land, for, well, its security and livlihood.

Who's destroying?

I'm referring to the plan that was approved by the Israeli government on Thursday for 20, 000 new settler housing units, enough for roughly 70, 000-90, 000 new illegal settlers, in occupied East Jerusalem, raising the number of settlers living illegally on Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank to 570,000. That's 10% of the the Israeli population, folks.

To put things in perspective, these settlements will create an uninterrupted stretch of Jewish-only housing and amenities between the eastern sector of the city and two West Bank settlement blocs, in an area (the "E-1" area) that historically accounts for 30-40% of the Palestinian economy combined. This is, of course, despite continued (empty) promises by Israeli governmetns not to build or expand there.

In typical Israeli government fashion, the announcement came just one day after the World Bank issued a scathing report of Israel's West Bank closure policies, which also happened to coincide with the demolitin of a special-needs home in East Jerusalem (despite the fact that the report found most building violations took place in West Jerusalem).

Israeli Border Police forcibly evicted the caregivers and children at dawn, according to the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD). A prayer vigil was held before the center was completely demolished.

"Currently, freedom of movement and access for Palestinians within the West Bank is the exception rather than the norm contrary to the commitments undertaken in a number of Agreements..." read the report, which also said Israel had purposefully fragmented the West Bank into cantons completely disconnected from one another.

But as a legal advisor to the PA told me, the report offered nothing new as far as Palestinains were concerned: "We've been saying this for years. We just wish the world would wake up and not just listen but actually do something. We have a situation where every European state is currently violating its own laws by trading with Israeli settlements.

"If they are serious about the two-state solution its time for them to live up to their own rhetoric and do something about it."

Now, who exactly believes that a two-state solution is still viable?

For more, read the rest of my article here.

30 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Laila, you are a serious journalist, so why do you write half trueths about the proposed building in Jerusalem?

It's not a plan of the government.

It's a decision by the local building Committee that have to get approved by higher instnaces.

It will take years to get approved, if it will not get stopped (which of course I wish it will).

Please read the following link carefuly.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/858055.html

12:32 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I remember a big article about the Worldbank report and a somewhat smaller article about the 'Martyr Mouse' in my local Dutch newspaper. I didn't see anything yet about the plan you wrote about. But I guess the 'balkanization' of the Westbank (I know it is not the correct word to describe it, but know no not a better one) is much more difficult to report about than the TV-show that directly plays upon the feelings of everone who sees it. However, I agree with Ray Hanania at Mideastyouth.com about the show.

1:03 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

hanan the UN has said all of the OPT belongs to Palestine...that includes everything that was not israhel before the '67 pre-emptive attack on Jordan and Egypt

Egypt and Jordan never gave up the rights to that land to Israhel..they gave it up to a Palestinian state, which was part of the peace deal with both of them

where does the jooish mayor of jerusalem (and arab city belonging to Palestine)get off ok-ing plans for this land theift?

1:37 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I noticed the burying of the settlement story in the UK press.

Yesterday, the Independent carried a report about that damn mouse with the headline, Hamas TV resists calls to pull 'Mickey Mouse' show. At the end of this piece was a single paragraph about the settlements with no headline.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article2530783.ece

2:23 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

5:31 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Nonchalantly, NYT Details Israeli Ethnic Cleansing


http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2007/05/13/nonchalantly-nyt-details-israeli-ethnic-cleansing/

6:28 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

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12:29 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

12:39 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

12:39 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

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12:57 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

as someone living in the UK, and with very little knowledge of whats going on between israel and palestine, I was enjoying reading the comments until they degenerated, shame on those involved

1:21 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hmmmn?......

What can be said here that would really be of any substance?

Yusef Estes

2:18 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

2:35 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

2:40 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Israeli Riddle: Love Jerusalem, Hate Living There

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/13/weekinreview/13myre.html?ex=1336708800&en=5031fd44797c8f71&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

demographics going against the chosenites

4:38 AM  
Blogger Grow eat Grow said...

Laila, I stumbled upon your blog and wanted to tell you that regardless of what you or your readers' positions on this subject are, how amazing that you are talking about it in this forum. I live in a small town in the u.s. and like most people here, we want to understand what is happening but simply, just don't. I wish the best for you and your family.

8:12 AM  
Blogger Jed Carosaari said...

Your post reminded me a lot of "One Country", which I've started reading now, thanks to you.

8:37 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

8:37 AM  
Blogger Laila said...

Ok, you know, that's it. I thought I could trust my readers not leave dehumanizing and immoral comments, so I removed the comment moderation because it wasn't working and nobody could leave comments anyway.

But I'm sorry to say this is the last time that will happen-back to comment moderation. And pls. let me know if your (sane) comment is not being posted for some reason-it wouldn't be my fualt, it means I"m not getting them.

9:03 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I wish, I hope ther will be more and more Isrealis who can't stand the way their country and their countryman are acting... that is the only way out of this, I can see there are more and more Jews rethinking their actions, unfortunatly it's not close reaching significant number soon...
but I wish I hope

10:31 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

EU boycotts 'provocative' Israeli anniversary party

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article2539373.ece

1:35 PM  
Blogger Moses said...

Ironically, it is successive Israeli governments that have made the so-called "two-state solution" untenable. Were the same PEPs (progressives except for Palestine) arguing for a South African two state solution?

Insh'allah, Um Yousef I will see you in Gaza in August!

10:37 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Not a single country recognizes the unification of Jerusalem,"

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=859260

1:57 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

J’lem mayor warns of Jewish minority in capital within decade

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=858958

2:11 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Laila,

so glad you reinstated the moderation. Intelligent argument (in my opinion, which matters not at all here!) = acceptable; revolting and hurtful commentary = noxious and should be removed. You don't owe anyone anything. Keep up the good work. I enjoy your blog (and have sent positive comments which never were posted, so good luck fixing, and know you have plenty of support and appreciation!)

Best to you!

5:33 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

layla, i think you are great.

-moomin13 from postcards from palestine

10:09 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I just wanted to quickly add my oppinion, since I feel that Jews and Pro-Israelis were a bit under represented in this (no fault of anyones of course).

I also was incredibly frustrated to hear about anyone even THINKING about more settling in the Palestinian territories. Have we learned nothing from 2005. The more Israelis who settle in Palestine, the more who will have to be moved out later. To me, this is a step backwards.

I do, however, still believe that a 2 state solution can and will work, the problem is that it must be followed.

As for Jerusalem itself. Its important to know that Jerusalem isn't just the most important location in Judaism, it is the ONLY truely holy site in Judaism. Jerusalem IS our Mecca.
More and more, I think the only way peace can be concievable is if they just split the new part between the two countries and then take Old City, and make it a seperate principality (is that the correct termanology? Whatever the Vatican City is...). I understand fully that this is easier said than done, but I just don't see how anything else will work.

2:32 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Just another note of support from a new reader. People don't need to agree on who's 'right' and 'wrong' in order to see the value of being able to share information and points of view. So thanks for the time and effort it takes you to manage this blog (and its sometimes-crass commenters). Sending best wishes to you and your family,

Elizabeth & Hicham, USA

5:56 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm Jewish, I love Israel, and I think this is a really important blog.

Whatever the reasons, Israel is being awful to the Palestinians, and its current relationships with Palestinians, Palestine and Israeli Arabs are not working. Something has to be done.

The only way anything good is going to happen is if people like Laila write about what's going wrong in a clear, detailed fashion, instead of the usual overly generalized "bad Israel, bad Israel, Zionist pig" stuff.

If Laila describes some Israeli action or other incorrectly, well, that's life. It's not as if every blog by Jewish people who love Israel is 100 percent accurate.

Also, if sometimes Laila uses rhetoric that's a bit strong: bombs are falling from the sky on or near her head. Maybe that has a little bit of an effect on her rhetoric. If we want Laila to use calmer rhetoric, maybe we should do something about the missiles.

- alta bat avraham

12:39 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

salam

Nice blog. Have you heard of the recent book by Eyal Weizman titled Design by destruction...worth a read.

Nav

10:30 PM  

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