Israel plans to build a Jewish tourist center, in East Jerusalem, on private Palestinian land, a local information center said, Tuesday.Wadi Hilweh Information Center said, in a statement, that the new center would be built east of the Silwan neighborhood and south of the Al-Aqsa mosque, without specifying when, Ma’an News Agency has reported.
The building and the land surrounding it will feature a ‘museum of Jewish history’ and a ‘Jewish national park’, the statement said.
The government-led project is sponsored by the Ir David Foundation, an organization which promotes a Jewish connection to parts of the Silwan neighborhood, including the ‘City of David’ archaeological site.
According to the Information Center, the tourist center will be built on 1,200 square meters of Palestinian land in the al-Ain area.
Municipality crews have already issued notices to seven families in the al-Ain area, informing them that the project will be implemented on their lands, according to the statement.
Since 1967, the Israeli authorities have demolished some 2,000 houses in East Jerusalem. Over 1,630 Palestinians were made homeless in house demolitions carried out by Israel between 2004-2012, B’Tselem says.
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