Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat has just pushed thru plans to build The King's Garden in the heart of East Jerusalem, the Arab neighborhood of Silwan.
From Bradley Burston's Tea Party Jews: Betraying U.S. and Israel at the same time
Barkat this week leaned on his diplomatic Murderers Incorporated, the Jerusalem Planning and Building Commission, to approve the razing of 22 Arab homes in the tinderbox neighborhood of Silwan, just south of the Old City walls, in order to make way for The King's Park, a pointed reference to the assertive if at times amoral David of the Jews.
Didi Remez @ Coteret brings us news of The Sheikh Jarrah protest movement pulled off an impressive demonstration on Friday
I urge everyone to follow the Coteret link for info of how this was reported in Israel including the recent report of Construction starts at Shepherd Hotel settlement compound in Sheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem (translation from hebrew)
This comes on the day of the publication of the Jerusalem Municipality Master Plan, with plans for expansion of settlement enclaves across the city. Last night, riots broke out in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan as settlers, backed by Border Police, moved to evict Palestinians from a structure used as a mosque.
Back to the "Master Plan". Yesterday Haaretz reports Jerusalem master plan: Expansion of Jewish enclaves across the city calling it "unprecedented..a move largely based on construction on privately owned Arab property. " but noted "Before giving the go-ahead, the committee will give objectors to the plan 60 days to submit their reservations." But this morning I arise to the news The plan has already been approved!
Documents obtained by Haaretz suggest that the plan to raze 22 Palestinian homes in Silwan to make room for tourist center was not ready to be approved by planning committee, but was rushed by Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat.
What's the hurry! Maybe Barkat just wanted to make sure the plans were approved before Bibi met w/Obama. He must have applied his charm to get this approved so fast..not:
Mayor Nir Barkat said last week that he was dismissing city council member and Deputy Mayor Pepe Alalo, for voting against the plan in the Planning and Building Committee. The mayor also announced that he was kicking the other representatives of Meretz out of his municipal coalition as well.
According to the documents Haaretz has obtained, the department which inspects building plans prior to their submission to the planning committee found no less than 250 defects in the Silwan plan.
(my bold)
Seriously, could things get any worse? More from Burston who deals with this issue w/the gravity it deserves:
The thought occurs, that it is time to call the mayor by the name he has earned: Nero Barkat. If there is one man whose fiddling will cause this city to burn, this is your man. Not Raed Salah, not Irving Moskowitz, not Khaled Mashal. Nero.
This is dual disoyalty of an even more profound sort. In putting demagoguery and pandering to the far-right above the interests of Jerusalem Barkat is a true traitor to his city, and a true traitor to Israel. His actions go far beyond harming the fabric of life in this city of intolerable tensions and chronic woe.
In his recklessness and tunnel vision, Barkat is undermining the very legitimacy of Israel at a time when Israel can least afford it.
Forget, for the moment, that Palestinians universally, and justly, view East Jerusalem as their capital. Forget the issue of whether Israel has a right to claim all of Jerusalem – a claim which, having earned the world's (and America's) resounding non-recognition, has left Israel as formally the only nation on the planet without a capital.
Consider, instead, the issue of whether Israel is acting as a worthy custodian for this sacred city which, more than any other, belongs to the world. As Israel treats Jerusalem, so shall the world treat Israel. As Jerusalem goes, so goes Israel.