With the specter of more housing demolitions and the ‘Judaification’ of East Jerusalem, leaders are looking for help where they can.The official in charge of Jerusalem affairs for Fatah has accused the government of Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad with ‘serious negligence’ of the city.
The failure of PM Fayyad’s office to prepare a proper budget for the city and otherwise support the Palestinians within the city has allowed Israel to fill the vacuum and impose itself on the city.
Though the Palestinian Authority is barred from officially operating in Jerusalem in the past they have supported the people in different ways. Support in the form of government attorneys to those facing home demolitions or eviction, as well as meetings to discuss ways to organize the people of East Jerusalem; these services have fallen by the wayside under Mr. Fayyad’s watch.
Other leaders in the city recently entertained EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton. During their meeting they tried to stress the centrality of Jerusalem to the Palestinian people.
These leaders asked that she appoint a special commissioner on Jerusalem and supply protection to the Palestinians in the city. They also expressed a desire to have international observers in the city to document Israeli abuses of international law.
