The Israeli Interior Ministry, and the so-called Construction and Planning Committee, are preparing to officially approve 4100 units for Jewish settlers in occupied East Jerusalem.A special committee, appointed two months ago by the Israeli Interior Minister, Eli Yishai, will be holding its first session on June 14 to look into approving 4100 units in the illegal settlements of Ramat Shlomo, Gilo, Pisgat Zeev, and Har Homa. All built on Palestinian lands illegally annexed by Israel.
Palestinian Attorney, Nasser Qais, an expert in legal issues regarding construction and planning, stated in a press release stating that the illegal Israeli plan aims at building 1600 units in Ramat Shlomo, 942 units in Gilo, 625 units in Pisgat Zeev and 940 units in Har Homa (Jabal Abu Ghneim).
Qais slammed the Israeli plan and stated that it aims at imposing facts on the ground by significantly increasing the number of Jewish settlers in and around occupied East Jerusalem while at the same time enforcing policies aiming at the removal the Palestinians from the area by demolishing their homes and refusing to grant them construction permits.
The Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, it is part of the Palestinian and Arab territories Israel occupied in 1967.
Occupied East Jerusalem was annexed by law passed by the Israeli Knesset in 1980. The so-called “Jerusalem Law” declared “Jerusalem, complete and united”, as the capital of Israel.
Following the official annexation of the occupied city, the United Nations Security Council issued resolution number 478 declaring the Israeli law as Null and Void as it violates the international law.
Israel insists that “unified” Jerusalem is its eternal capital, and that “it has the right” to build what it calls “residential area” in and around the city.
All Israeli settlements in the occupied territories are Jewish only similar to the segregation and apartheid former regime in South Africa.