More Threats to Cemetery in al-Quds

Israel's "desecration" policy continues as it plans to build a courthouse complex on a large historic Muslim cemetery in al-Quds (Jerusalem).

The Mamilla cemetery, which lies just outside the Old City walls, dates back 1,000 years and, according to Islamic tradition, includes the resting places of companions of Prophet Mohammad.'

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Mass Demolitions Feared in Jersalem al-Quds ‎

Ethnic cleansing of al-Bustan neighborhood in al-Quds (Jerusalem) continues with new plans to demolish 88 Palestinian homes to build "green space" for the area.

The residents of al-Bustan fear imminent demolitions as Israeli police were observed taking photos and film footage of Palestinian homes.'

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Ethnic cleansing, enforced mass starvation, attacks on Americans in international waters, and Obama still calls Israel a "beacon of Democracy."

Israel Insists on Defying Building Freeze

Israel says it will keep building settlements on the occupied Palestinian lands a day after the start of “peace” talks with the Palestinian Authority (PA).

"It is evident we will continue to build over the next two years in Gilo, Pisgat Zeev, French Hill," Israeli Information Minister Yuli Edelstein told public radio on Monday, referring to Jewish settlements in al-Quds (East Jerusalem), AFP reported.

PA on Sunday announced the start of indirect talks with Israel which are held with the mediation of United States envoy George Mitchell.'

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Brits are Bashing Israel, Envoy Says

Israel's ambassador to the UK has accused the British public of “delegitimizing and demonizing” Israel, saying that they are not aware of Israel's challenges.

Ambassador Ron Prosor told The Times that there was a discrepancy between the British government's treatment of Israel and the position adopted by members of the public, media, and universities.

“Sometimes we feel people from the outside are pointing fingers at us instead of giving us a big hug, which is what we need in this region,” the Israeli envoy said.'

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Jews Stage Anti-Zionist Rally in al-Quds

Scores of orthodox Jews have staged a demonstration in al-Quds (Jerusalem) to protest Tel Aviv's policies and its mistreatment of Palestinians.

Members of Neturei Karta (Guardians of the City) gathered in al-Quds's Shabbat Square late on Sunday. The demonstrators shouted anti-Zionist slogans and were carrying sings which read "Jews aren't Zionists."

They also burned the Israeli flag, a move that infuriated security forces who clashed with the protestors and arrested one of them.'

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Israel Plans East al-Quds Synagogue

Israeli authorities have decided to approve the construction of a new synagogue and school in East Jerusalem (al-Quds) on occupied Palestinian land.

The erection project will be carried out in the Gilo settlement on the land seized from its Palestinian owners just before planning for the construction started in 1995, Israel's army radio said on Tuesday.

The plan is actually finalized, although it still requires final approval from the city's planning commission, an act of "mere formality, " according to the committee's chairman Kobi Khalon.'

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Don't Declare State, Lieberman Warns Palestinians

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman says Tel Aviv would annul previous peace accords with Palestinians if they decide to go ahead with plans to unilaterally declare an independent state.

Speaking to Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper on Tuesday, Lieberman threatened Palestinians that such a move could prompt Israel to annex parts of the West Bank and revoke 1990s Israeli-Palestinian peace agreements.

"Any unilateral decision will release us from all of our commitments and will allow us also to make unilateral decisions," Lieberman said. "For example, imposing Israeli sovereignty on certain areas, cutting off all kinds of ties and transfers of money and a string of benefits and agreements put into place since the (peace) accords".'

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Netanyahu Vows More Settlement Construction

Israel's hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is determined to push ahead with the construction of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

"We will continue developing in the North and the South, and certainly in Jerusalem (al-Quds)," Netanyahu said at a ceremony marking the end of Passover.

Defying widespread international calls for a freeze, Israel has been refusing to halt settlement expansion on confiscated Palestinian land, including the illegally annexed East al-Quds.'

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Israel Restricts Access to Al-Aqsa Mosque

Israel on Monday curbed travel from the West Bank and access to Jerusalem's flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound as Jews began to celebrate Passover holidays amid raised tension with the Palestinians.

Four Israeli rightwing activists were briefly detained when they tried to make their way to the Old City in annexed east Jerusalem with two goats intended for ritual slaughter, police said.

A Passover animal sacrifice near the mosque compound in the Old City would likely have been perceived by Muslims as a challenge to the tense status quo of the site and could have sparked unrest.'

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Palestinian Families Expelled From Their Homes,Then Get Billed For It!

If you thought getting kicked out of your home was bad enough, think again.

In “Israel”, if you are expelled, do not be surprised if you get billed for it.

The Jerusalem Center for Social and Economical Rights (JCCER) reported that the Zionist police handed a Palestinian family from Eastern Jerusalem an order on Wednesday to pay 13.000 NIS, demanding family members to pay the expenses of their expulsion from their home.

Members of Majed Hannoun family, from the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, were forced out of their home last year and were replaced by fundamentalist Jewish settlers.

But now, the settler-run Jerusalem Municipality is asking the family to pay 13.000 NIS for the expenses of the workers who removed them from their homes, and for equipment the municipality used during the evacuation, IMEMC reported.'

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Obama Slams Palestinian Protests, Rejects Israeli Row

US President Barack Obama condemns Palestinian protests in Jerusalem al-Quds over Israeli provocations near al-Aqsa Mosque as 'destructive to peace' while downplaying reported row with the Israeli regime over Tel Aviv's continued settlement expansions, denying reports that US-Israeli ties are in a state of crisis.

In a quick turn of face, under reportedly intense pressure from the wealthy Israeli lobby in the US, Obama, whose top administration officials described Israeli settlement expansion plans as 'insulting and destructive to peace efforts,' rejected tensions with Tel Aviv as 'friendly disagreements' and, instead, denounced the Palestinians for reacting against intimidating Israeli moves to Judaize al-Quds.'

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Israeli Forces Raid Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound

Israeli forces have stormed the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied East Jerusalem Al-Quds and cordoned off its premises where dozens of Palestinian protesters had gathered.

Eyewitnesses said that Israeli policemen had encircled the Al-Aqsa Mosque since the early morning hours and clashes erupted in the holy complex after the Israeli forces raided the area to push out the Palestinians.'

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Israel to Raze 200 Palestinian Homes in East Jerusalem

Israeli authorities plan to seal 200 Palestinians homes in East Jerusalem Al-Quds to counter what they call "discriminatory enforcement" against Israeli settlers.

The East Jerusalem Al-Quds Mayor Nir Barkat announced the decision after the State Prosecutor Moshe Lador criticized the municipality's refusal to carry out a Supreme Court order to seal the Jewish-owned Beit Yehonatan building in East Jerusalem Al-Quds.

The building, which houses Israeli settlers, was illegally built in the city's neighborhood of Silwan in 2004.

In a letter written to the prosecutor on Wednesday, Barkat agreed to implement the sealing order but added that he would also act to tear down 200 "illegal" Palestinian homes in the area.'

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Israel Says Wall Helps Eject Palestinians

An Israeli official said Friday the separation wall in Jerusalem Al-Quds is being built with the aim of forcing out tens of thousands of Palestinians living in the occupied territory.

"The fence was built on this route for a demographic reason - to remove 50,000 Arabs from Jerusalem (Al-Quds)," said council member in charge of Al-Quds Yakir Segev, Israeli outlet Ynet news reported. "Now, the situation is being left as is. They simply don't want to say".'

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Israel Excludes Al-Quds From Peace Plan

A published Israeli peace proposal and detailed map, has excluded the occupied Jerusalem Al-Quds from any negotiations with Palestinians.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has excluded East Jerusalem Al-Quds and some other terms in the proposal which falls considerably short of Israel's previous commitments, AP reported.

The so-called peace plan had been initially proposed by former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert. According to the plan, Israel would annex all settlements surrounding Jerusalem Al-Quds and settlement blocs in the West Bank.'

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Ethnic Cleansing, Pure and Simple

Israel stripped over 4,500 Jerusalemite Palestinians of their "residency rights" in 2008.

This marks a huge acceleration of a policy that has been in force since Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967. In these 41 years, Israel has now stripped over 12,000 Palestinians of their "permits" to live in Jerusalem, 35 per cent or so of those in 2008 alone.

It also maps out exactly where the current right-wing Israeli government, which has made no secret of its wish to Judaise Jerusalem, a travesty of history if ever there was one, is heading.'

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EU Envoys: Israel Trying to Sever East Jerusalem From West Bank

A classified report drafted by European consuls in East Jerusalem and Ramallah slams Israeli policy in East Jerusalem and recommends that the European Union take steps to strengthen the Palestinian Authority's status in the city. It also advises taking various measures to protest Israeli policy in the city, as well as sanctions against people and groups involved in "settlement activity" in and around it.'

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Evicted Palestinians Sleep on the Streets Outside Their Homes in East Jerusalem

Roadmap Freeze in Israel

The only things that are frozen in Israel today are the scores of Palestinians that were rendered homeless by the expansionist policies of the zionist state. Families that for decades lived in homes belonging to them and their families before them are now living on the streets…. , evicted to make way for illegal Jewish settlers , part of a ‘master plan’ to rid Jerusalem of all its non Jewish inhabitants.'

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Palestinian Structures Destroyed in Jerusalem Al-Quds

Despite criticisms over Israeli expansion of illegal settlements and destruction of Palestinian homes, Israelis have again torn down Palestinian properties in east Jerusalem Al-Quds.'

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