Ahmad Roweidy, head of the Jerusalem Unit at the Palestinian President’s office, stated that the Israeli government is escalating what he called “the demographic war” in Jerusalem in order to empty the occupied city from its indigenous Palestinian people.Roweidy stated that Jerusalem Mayor, Nir Barkat, has once again asked Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to approve a plan to construct a “Jewish archeological garden” in East Jerusalem.
The construction of this ‘garden’ requires demolishing 22 Palestinian homes in Silwan neighborhood.
Roweidy said that Israel is pushing different plans to in order to increase the settler population, especially in Silwan area as it is located west of the al-Aqsa Mosque, in addition to the al-Mughrabi Gate, Sheikh Jarrah, Wadi al-Joz and several other Arabs and Palestinian areas in the city.
Roweidy told the Ma’an News Agency that Israel is also planning to build a synagogue near the western wall of the al-Aqsa Mosque.
He demanded the Organization of the Islamic Conference to resort to the United Nations in order to act against the illegal Israeli plans in the occupied city and its holy sites.
Roweidy further stated that since the year 2000, Israel issued demolish orders against 20,000 Palestinian homes in the occupied city. He said that Israel wants to ensure a vast majority of Jews in East and West Jerusalem.
