New debate about Israeli approval of small housing project in Jerusalem
25 March 2010
European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton has condemned a decision by the Israeli authorities to allow the construction of 20 apartment units around a hotel in east Jerusalem. “The European Union condemns the recent decision of the Israeli authorities to authorize construction around the Shepherd Hotel in East Jerusalem," a statement from her office said. She added: “The international community is making every effort to facilitate the resumption of peace talks. Settlement construction in east Jerusalem is illegal and undermines these efforts. The EU calls on Israel to reverse this decision.”
According to the Israeli media, the Jerusalem municipality has given final approval for the construction of 20 apartments next to the Shepherd Hotel, in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood. "This process is apolitical and professional," said Stephan Miller, a spokesman for Jerusalem's mayor Nir Barkat. The municipality said news reports that it had given approval for the conversion now was “distorted and is meant to stir up a provocation during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit in Washington. The plan was approved in July 2009 by the local planning committee. Its approval was published in the media at the time. The landowners only paid the fees on March 15th, 2010 and approval was granted automatically after that."
Elisha Peleg, a Jerusalem city councilor, told the British newspaper ‘The Guardian’ that the Shepherd Hotel building permit was a "technical step" and that more construction would follow there and in other Palestinian areas of the city. "We will continue to build all over Jerusalem.”
Earlier this week, in a speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in Washington, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had declared that Jerusalem was not a settlement. He received standing ovations from the audience when he said: "The Jewish people were building Jerusalem 3,000 years ago and the Jewish people are building Jerusalem today. Jerusalem is not a settlement. It is our capital."
King Abdullah II of Jordan alleged that Israel was "playing with fire" by continuing construction in east Jerusalem. "We have warned repeatedly that Israel is playing with fire and Jordan rejects and condemns all actions aimed at changing the identity of Jerusalem, emptying it of its Arab inhabitants, both Christian and Muslim," the king said in an interview with a Jordanian newspaper. "East Jerusalem should be the capital of an independent Palestinian state which must be established as soon as possible," he added.
The Shepherd Hotel was purchased by American Jewish businessman Irving Moskowitz in 1985. It once served as the headquarters of the anti-Semitic Palestinian grand mufti Haj Amin al-Husseini, who openly sided with Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler during World War II.
» In US, Netanyahu defends right of Jewish people to build in Jerusalem
» Netanyahu expresses regret for timing of settlement announcement
» What do you think about the current state of US-Israel relations? 
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I believe that East Jerusalem's name came about in 1948 when "Israel" was formed. It was administered by Jordan between 1948 and 1967 when Israel won it back in battle. I think that the city should be"reunited" and called only Jerusalem and, from now on, only called Jerusalem.
My cousins who live in Jerusalem e-mail me and tell me that there is no issue with those Arabs, Christians and Jews"who live there". The trouble comes from those who live outside of the area.
Only with Israeli rule over all of Jerusalem will there be religious tolerance in the city. Muslims threw the Christians out of Bethleem, in the West Bank, which was predominantly Catholic. Muslims do not allow Jews to pray on the Muslim controlled Temple Mount, in East Jerusalem, once part of the First and Second Temple, whereas all faiths are present in Israeli controlled Jerusalem. It is obvious that if part of Jerusalem were to be controlled by Muslims, in any Peace agreement, no other religion would be allowed there, as is the case today, in all Muslim controlled towns in the West Bank... and in most Muslim countries. The policies of 'divide and rule' have always bought on new conflicts... The World Democracies must decide if they want a 'politically correct' Jerusalem seperated by religious tolerance and intolerance or a Jerusalem where all religions can freely express their identity. Joc
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Get Involved
Len Bennett, over 2 years ago
Much as it pains me, this latest gaff illustrates that Israel has got to take the bull by the horms and expose the Palestinians for the liars they are. There will aways be a reason for the Palestinains to not pseak. So Remove it. Israel should set a period where there will be absolutely no building over the Green Line. Then the Arabs will have to put up or shut up. There is plenty of room for Israel to expand upward, or elsewhere within the Green Line. Try It. Let's see what will happen