UN chief says East Jerusalem demolition plan 'illegal'

dlofnep

UN chief Ban Ki-moon has said the plan to demolish Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem to make way for a tourist park is illegal and unhelpful.

On Monday Jerusalem City Council approved the plan to demolish 22 Palestinian homes in Silwan - part of a major redevelopment of the area.

The move has drawn criticism both at home and from the Obama administration.

Mr Ban said the plan was "contrary to international law" and "unhelpful" to efforts to restart peace negotiations.

The scheme is still in an initial stage.

Settlement activity

"The Secretary-General is deeply concerned about the decision by the Jerusalem municipality to advance planning for house demolitions and further settlement activity in the area of Silwan," Mr Ban's office said in a statement.

Israel's government had a "responsibility to ensure provocative steps [were] not taken" that would heighten tensions in the city, he said.

On Tuesday, the US State Department criticised the move, saying it undermined trust and increased the risk of violence.

Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak also criticised Jerusalem's municipality for "bad timing" and poor "common sense".

Under the plan, 22 Palestinian homes would be demolished to make room for an Israeli archaeological park. Another 66 buildings constructed without Israeli permission would be legalised.

Israel has come under international pressure over its settlement plans in East Jerusalem, including the construction of 1,600 housing units in a Jewish neighbourhood there.

Under international law the area is occupied territory. Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state.

More abhorrent behaviour from Israel. East Jerusalem is not a part of Israel, and they have no right to build anything there. The pending demolition of 22 Palestinian homes is unjust, and even Israel's strongest apologists cannot defend this action.

The UN have criticised this move, along with the US - but neither of them will take a stand to stop it. Israel's land-grab of Palestine continues day by day, and will continue until there is hardly anything left for the Palestinians.

A UN peace force should be enacted to reinforce the 1967 borders and ensure that Israel's illegal occupation does not expand further, and ultimately ends.

Sleepy

dlofnep wrote: »

Israel's land-grab of Palestine continues day by day, and will continue until there is hardly anything left for the Palestinians.

That reads like you believe they intend to leave something for Palestinians...

dlofnep

Sleepy wrote: »

That reads like you believe they intend to leave something for Palestinians...

A fair point. But the basis for the discussion at the moment is East-Jerusalem. In aon chaoi, intervention is required at this point - as Israel has no intention of stopping. UN resolution 2253 was adopted in 1967 - but there has been nothing done in 43 years to act upon it.

wes

Well, not particularly surprising really. Another nail in the coffin of the proximity talks, for no good reason as well.

Heisenberg.

This post has been deleted.

NOGMaxpower

Dont get me started on their nukes!

they have the gaul to give Iran grief when they have a suspected arsenal of nukes at their disposal.

dlofnep

NOGMaxpower wrote: »

Dont get me started on their nukes!

they have the gaul to give Iran grief when they have a suspected arsenal of nukes at their disposal.

There is another thread somewhere to discuss the issue on nuclear weapons. I merely wish to to discuss the demolition issues here at the moment and not stray too far off topic

Mal-Adjusted

dlofnep wrote: »

More abhorrent behaviour from Israel. East Jerusalem is not a part of Israel, and they have no right to build anything there. The pending demolition of 22 Palestinian homes is unjust, and even Israel's strongest apologists cannot defend this action.

The UN have criticised this move, along with the US - but neither of them will take a stand to stop it. Israel's land-grab of Palestine continues day by day, and will continue until there is hardly anything left for the Palestinians.

A UN peace force should be enacted to reinforce the 1967 borders and ensure that Israel's illegal occupation does not expand further, and ultimately ends.

no surprise there at all. I don't mean to sound melodramatic at all, but the star of david is covered in Palestinian blood

mrboswell

Mal-Adjusted wrote: »

no surprise there at all. I don't mean to sound melodramatic at all, but the star of david is covered in Palestinian blood

And the ash from their destroyed homes

Nodin

Sleepy wrote: »

That reads like you believe they intend to leave something for Palestinians...

O some corner will doubtless be reserved as some sort of bantustan, from which they can emerge as cheap labour.

Bottle_of_Smoke

Demolishing people's homes to make way for a tourist park? Did I read that right?

That's like one step away from writing Arabs formal letters requesting they support attacks on Israel. What is up with that country.

Bottle_of_Smoke

And what's with Ban Ki-Moon describing it as 'illegal and unhelpful'?

Illegal - state the f*cking obvious

Unhelpful . . .unhelpful? Try wrong, immoral, cruel, evil. Spineless tosser.

monosharp

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote: »

And what's with Ban Ki-Moon describing it as 'illegal and unhelpful'?

Illegal - state the f*cking obvious

Unhelpful . . .unhelpful? Try wrong, immoral, cruel, evil. Spineless tosser.

His position means he must stay as neutral as possible, the fact he came out with this at all is surprising.

Anyways its not the UN's fault per say, its the UN structure. The US, Russia, China, France etc can have anything vetoed no matter how many other countries vote for it.

The UN has tried to go against Israel many times, its the US who veto it.

Its so ironic that when China does the same thing for North Korea, even to a much smaller degree then the US does for Israel, the media is all over them for vetoing it but the same is not done for the US vetoes against action against Israel.