Israel Told to STOP Stealing

The United Nations has asked Israel to freeze the planned demolition of Arab homes in east Jerusalem

Israel annexed east Jerusalem after capturing it in the 1967 Mideast War and expropriated one-third of the annexed land to build housing for 195,000 Jews.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a report published today that only 13 per cent of east Jerusalem is now zoned for Palestinian construction.

An estimated 1,500 residents of east Jerusalem's Silwan neighbourhood are facing eviction where 88 Arab homes are under Israeli demolition orders.

Palestinians say the planned demolitions are aimed at forcing them out of east Jerusalem. Israel considers Jerusalem to be its capital while Palestinians want to make east Jerusalem the capital of their future state.

If the demolition orders are carried out it would represent one of the largest forced evictions since Israel occupied mostly Arab east Jerusalem.

Twenty-eight per cent of Palestinian homes are built in violation of Israeli zoning restrictions and face possible demolition. The UN report says about 1,500 demolition orders are currently pending. source