NIEUWS NEDERLANDS PALESTINA KOMITEE

Mustafa Bargouti, Secretaris-Generaal van het Palestijns Nationaal Initiatief, noemde deze actie een daad van ethische zuivering tegen het Palestijnse volk. Ook Catherine Ashton van de EU heeft woedend gereageerd (zie onder). Bij de afbraak werd Volvo en Caterpillar apparatuur gebruikt.

Bron: International Middle East Media Center (IMEMC)

Several bulldozers started the leveling of the hotel under significantly increased presence of Israeli policemen and soldiers.

The destruction of the hotel comes as Israel intends to construct a new settlement that includes 200 units for Jewish settlers.

Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative described the attack as part of Israel’s ethnic cleansing policy against the Palestinians, and as an act that reveals Israel’s intentions against the Arabs in the city.

Dr. Barghouthi added that this hotel is located in the center of Sheikh Jarrah, and warned of the ongoing Israeli policies that target the presence of the indigenous Palestinian people.

“Israel is revoking ID cards of Palestinian residents of occupied East Jerusalem, targeting holy sites and demolishing Palestinian homes and property”, Dr. Barghouthi stated, “All of these violations aim at forcing new realities on the ground, and removing the indigenous Palestinians from their city”.

The Hotel is owned by the inheritors of Haj Amin Al Husseini, the former Mufti of occupied Jerusalem. Israel illegally confiscated the building under the so-called “Absentee Property Law”.

The original owner of the building, Haj Amin Al Husseini, was expelled out of Palestine by the authorities of the British Mandate in 1937. He died in Lebanon in 1974.

The building was turned into a hotel in in the 1960’s and was managed by legal representatives. In early 1970’s Israel tried to take control of the building and to force the renters to pay directly to the government instead of paying to the owners.

Several bulldozers started the leveling of the hotel under significantly increased presence of Israeli policemen and soldiers.

The destruction of the hotel comes as Israel intends to construct a new settlement that includes 200 units for Jewish settlers.

Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative described the attack as part of Israel’s ethnic cleansing policy against the Palestinians, and as an act that reveals Israel’s intentions against the Arabs in the city.

Dr. Barghouthi added that this hotel is located in the center of Sheikh Jarrah, and warned of the ongoing Israeli policies that target the presence of the indigenous Palestinian people.

“Israel is revoking ID cards of Palestinian residents of occupied East Jerusalem, targeting holy sites and demolishing Palestinian homes and property”, Dr. Barghouthi stated, “All of these violations aim at forcing new realities on the ground, and removing the indigenous Palestinians from their city”.

The Hotel is owned by the inheritors of Haj Amin Al Husseini, the former Mufti of occupied Jerusalem. Israel illegally confiscated the building under the so-called “Absentee Property Law”.

The original owner of the building, Haj Amin Al Husseini, was expelled out of Palestine by the authorities of the British Mandate in 1937. He died in Lebanon in 1974.

The building was turned into a hotel in in the 1960’s and was managed by legal representatives. In early 1970’s Israel tried to take control of the building and to force the renters to pay directly to the government instead of paying to the owners.

Several bulldozers started the leveling of the hotel under significantly increased presence of Israeli policemen and soldiers.

The destruction of the hotel comes as Israel intends to construct a new settlement that includes 200 units for Jewish settlers.

Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative described the attack as part of Israel’s ethnic cleansing policy against the Palestinians, and as an act that reveals Israel’s intentions against the Arabs in the city.

Dr. Barghouthi added that this hotel is located in the center of Sheikh Jarrah, and warned of the ongoing Israeli policies that target the presence of the indigenous Palestinian people.

“Israel is revoking ID cards of Palestinian residents of occupied East Jerusalem, targeting holy sites and demolishing Palestinian homes and property”, Dr. Barghouthi stated, “All of these violations aim at forcing new realities on the ground, and removing the indigenous Palestinians from their city”.

The Hotel is owned by the inheritors of Haj Amin Al Husseini, the former Mufti of occupied Jerusalem. Israel illegally confiscated the building under the so-called “Absentee Property Law”.

The original owner of the building, Haj Amin Al Husseini, was expelled out of Palestine by the authorities of the British Mandate in 1937. He died in Lebanon in 1974.

The building was turned into a hotel in in the 1960’s and was managed by legal representatives. In early 1970’s Israel tried to take control of the building and to force the renters to pay directly to the government instead of paying to the owners.

Reactie van Catherine Ashton (EU):

De de hoge vertegenwoordiger voor buitenlandse zaken en veiligheidsbeleid van de Europese Unie Catherine Ashton heeft woedend gereageerd op de afbraak van het hotel en de geplande aanleg van een Israelische nederzetting, zeggend dat nederzettingen illegaal zijn volgens het internationaal recht, het wederzijdse vertrouwen ondermijnen, en vrede in de weg staan:

"I strongly condemn this morning's demolition of the Shepherd Hotel and the planned construction of a new illegal settlement. I reiterate that settlements are illegal under international law, undermine trust between the parties and constitute an obstacle to peace. Furthermore, we recall that East Jerusalem is part of occupied Palestinian territory; the EU does not recognise the annexation by Israel.
We are also concerned by the recent upsurge of violence in the Occupied Palestinian territory, and deeply regret the loss of life. We call on all parties to exercise restraint, and for a halt to all violence.”

Bij de afbraak van het hotel werd Caterpillar en Volvo apparatuur gebruikt. Caterpillar is reeds lang in opspraak wegens Israels gebruik van zijn bulldozers bij huisverwoestingen. Ook Volvo is in opspraak, o.a. wegens het leveren van overvalbusjes voor gevangenenvervoer het gebruik van Volvo bulldozers bij huisverwoestingen o.a. in Palestijnse wijken in Israel zelf (bijv. Lydd) en de afbraak van het Shepherd Hotel.