OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)
The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) continues to escalate its targeting of Al-Bustan neighborhood in Silwan town, south of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, within a systematic policy aimed at changing the demographic and geographical reality in occupied Jerusalem.
The neighborhood, located a few meters away from Al-Aqsa, is considered one of the most prominent Palestinian neighborhoods facing demolition and displacement plans, within the framework of a settlement project aimed at tightening control over the vicinity of the Old City.
Strategic location
Al-Bustan neighborhood occupies a strategic location that connects a number of Silwan neighborhoods, which gives it special importance in the IOA plans aimed at surrounding Al-Aqsa Mosque with a series of settlement outposts and projects.
Its targeting comes within a broader plan that includes several Jerusalem neighborhoods, with the aim of reducing the Palestinian presence and reinforcing the IOA control over the area.
During recent years, the IOA escalated home demolition operations in the neighborhood, leading to the removal of dozens of Palestinian homes and forcing a number of families to leave their homes.
The pace of demolition operations has increased remarkably since the outbreak of the war on the Gaza Strip, exploiting the world’s preoccupation with ongoing events to implement its plans in Jerusalem.
Demolition of homes and targeting of lands
The attacks were not limited to the demolition of homes, but extended to targeting Palestinian lands, through issuing orders to confiscate vast areas under the pretext of establishing public parks or parking lots for vehicles. The residents of the neighborhood believe that these measures are nothing but a first stage paving the way for the establishment of permanent settlement projects, after emptying the area of its original inhabitants.
The IOA bases many of its measures on laws and legislation it imposed during past years, most notably the “Kaminitz” law, which stiffened penalties related to Palestinian construction, and granted the occupation municipality wide powers to implement demolition orders and impose hefty fines, while reducing the ability of Palestinians to legally appeal or postpone the implementation of decisions.
In contrast, the IOA deprives Palestinians of obtaining fair building permits, which forces many families to build out of necessity to meet their housing needs, before those houses later turn into a target for demolition operations under the pretext of lacking a permit, in a policy described as a tool to empty Jerusalem of its Palestinian residents.
Settlement institutions also promote historical and religious narratives claiming that the area used to include what is called the “King’s Garden”, and seek to employ these claims to justify converting the neighborhood’s lands into tourism projects and biblical parks serving settlers, in an attempt to impose the IOA narrative at the expense of the Arab and Islamic identity of Jerusalem.
Surrounding Al-Aqsa
Observers emphasize that what is happening in Al-Bustan neighborhood cannot be separated from the broader Israeli project aimed at surrounding Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Old City from various sides, by targeting the neighborhoods of Silwan, Sheikh Jarrah, Wadi al-Joz, and Mount of Olives, thereby changing the demographic composition and reinforcing the settlement presence in the heart of the holy city.
Despite the continuous demolitions and pressures, the residents of Al-Bustan neighborhood continue their adherence to their land and homes, fighting a daily battle to defend their existence, relying on their steadfastness and the efforts of human rights and media organizations working to document violations and expose the forced displacement policies they are subjected to.
In conclusion, Al-Bustan neighborhood represents a clear model of the battle for occupied Jerusalem, where policies of demolition and confiscation intersect with settlement projects and biblical narratives to reshape the city to serve the IOA goals.
With the continuation of these plans, the steadfastness of the neighborhood’s residents and their adherence to their right to remain represent the most important factor in confronting attempts to uproot them and efface the Palestinian identity in the vicinity of the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque.