‘Greater Jerusalem way no churches and no mosques’

Palestinian interfaith officers contain warned in opposition to monopolising the city of Jerusalem by the Israeli authorities and the outcomes that may perchance perchance contain on Christianity and Islam.

Hanna Issa, secretary-ordinary of the Palestinian Authority’s Muslim-Christian Committee acknowledged that extra than 95 % of Jerusalem had already been « Judaised » by Israel, and that « Greater Jerusalem » would alter the city’s identity and importance to Christianians and Muslims.

« Israel desires to put its so-referred to as ‘Greater Jerusalem’ on an home of 600sq km, which would mean the destruction of the city’s churches and mosques, » Issa acknowledged.

The warning came throughout the Ninth Global Conference on the Holy Metropolis of Jerusalem on Wednesday, which kicked off within the occupied West Monetary institution city of Ramallah.

The conference used to be attended by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and a lot of delegations from across the Arab and Muslim world.

Munib Masri, chairman of the Jerusalem Endowment, wired Jerusalem’s importance for every Muslims and Christians.

« The world have to be conscious that there can by no way be peace except the Jerusalem file is satisfactorily resolved, » he acknowledged.

He added: « Jerusalem requires vivid initiatives and financial toughen with a peep to strengthening the gain to the bottom of of its participants. »

Speaking on the tournament, Youssef Edies, Palestinian minister of religious endowments, described Jerusalem as « the birthplace of religions ».

« We have to focal level on Arab, Muslim and worldwide efforts on resisting the fierce Western onslaught in opposition to the Holy Land, » he asserted.

Israeli control

Israel occupied and annexed East Jerusalem within the aftermath of the June 1967 Battle, in a pass that used to be by no way recognised by the worldwide community. 

Since then, Israel has constructed extra than a dozen housing complexes for Jewish Israelis, identified as settlements, some within the center of Palestinian neighbourhoods in East Jerusalem.

Israel’s settlement challenge, which is aimed on the consolidation of Israel’s control over the city, is moreover regarded as illegal below worldwide legislation. 

About 200,000 Israeli voters live in East Jerusalem below military and police protection, with the passable single settlement advanced housing forty four,000 Israelis.

Such fortified settlements, regularly scattered between Palestinians’ homes, infringe on the liberty of motion, privacy and safety of Palestinians.

Call without cost gain entry to

Last Saturday, a United Nations envoy accused Israel of looking to dam him and completely different diplomats from a pre-Easter « Holy Fire » ritual within the packed Jerusalem church Christians revere because the burial location of Jesus.

Robert Serry, the UN’s peace envoy to the Heart East, acknowledged in a statement that Israeli safety officers had stopped him and a community of Palestinian worshippers and diplomats in a procession shut to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, « claiming they had orders to that enact ».

Last month, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem acknowledged church authorities had utilized for round 600 permits for Palestinian Christians in Gaza to scoot to Jerusalem to celebrate Easter, nonetheless none were granted.

Father Ibrahim Shomali, chancellor of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, acknowledged: « Now we wish to contain free gain entry to to the Holy Land, free gain entry to to our holy locations. »

SOURCE: Al Jazeera and files companies