Abu Teir warns of Israeli policy in Jerusalem

Friday October 26, 2007 17:40 by Ameen Abu Wardah - IMEMC News

In a letter sent from the Israeli detention of Nitsan, Sheikh Mohammad Abu Teir, member of the Palestinian Legislative Council of the Hamas Jerusalem bloc, warned on Friday of the acceleration of Israeli policies in East Jerusalem, whilst Palestinians are busy with preparations for the November conference.

Abu Tier said that Israel is changing the facts on the ground by confiscating more land, expelling residents, demolishing their homes, denying them construction permits and taking away their identity cards. The aim is to change the demography of the area to suit their needs.

He added that Israel is working towards changes on the ground which will provide a good excuse to try to convince the international community that it should be allowed to keep Jerusalem. The status of the city will be major issue in the forthcoming talks.

Abu Teir strongly criticized the official Palestinian silence on this contentious issue, saying that " Being busy with the preparations for the November conference without taking into account this fundamental issue, is like the case of a doctor who is busy treating an injured finger when the patient's heart is losing blood."

Translated by Manar Jbrin

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