“We are writing to you about Jerusalem, the city of peace,the symbol of unity and healthy coexistence between people of all faiths and ideologies, Jerusalem has been a city under Israeli siege and occupation since 1967.
Throughout these years, Israel has systematically attempted to alter the distinctive identity of Jerusalem in the cultural, social, religious and ethnic arenas. Israel is actively engaged in depriving Jerusalem of its Palestinian inhabitants using the policy of ethnic cleansing.
What Jerusalem is witnessing by Natanyahu’s government is a flagrant violation of peace accords ratified by both the Israel’s and the Palestinians. With such accords we have laid the grounds for a just and comprehensive peace which would promote mutual tryst and co-existence between the followers of Islam, Christianity and Judaism in the city of peace. Not only will the policies and stands of Nattanyahu’s government underline the peace efforts in the region, but they will also push the Palestinians and the Israeli’s into a new cycle of violence and suffering.
The Palestinian people together with the international Community reject Israel’s plans for turning Jerusalem into a Jewish city. Members of the United Nation’s General Assembly and the Security council have repeatedly and unequivocally expressed such a stand through their adoption of several resolution on Israel’s policies and behavior in Palestine. To site a few, The Security Council have repeatedly and unequivocally expressed such a stand through their adoption of several resolution on Israel’s policies and behavior in Palestine.
To site but a few, The Security Council have passed resolutions 242 1967, 252 1968, 271 1971, and 476 which rejects Israel’s unilateral decision to annex East Jerusalem and make it the unified capital of Israel. The general Assembly also passed other resolutions such as 169H35 1969, and 681 1990 following the indiscriminate shooting and killing of many Palestinian prayers in Al - Aqsa Mosque. This resolution also affirms that East Jerusalem and make it the unified capital of Israel. The General Assembly also passed other resolutions such as 169H35 1969, and 681 1990 following the in discrimination shooting and killing of many Palestinian prayers in Al-Aqsa Mosque. This resolution also affirms that East Jerusalem is part of the Palestinian land as designated by Geneva 4 convention.
Since the occupation of Jerusalem in 1967, Israel has taken several provocative measures to tighten its grip in the city. Israel is continually imposing new realities on the ground through the confiscation and expropriation of Palestinian land from its rightful Palestinian owners to build new Jewish settlements on it and expand existing ones. Israel’s obvious purpose is to change the geographical and demographic structure of Jerusalem in favor of what was once a Jewish geographical and demographic structure of Jerusalem in favor of what was once a Jewish minority.
As a result, the size of Jerusalem which was 7 square kilometers before 1967 has been the expanded to 70 square kilometers now. It must be pointed out that such acts break the hearts of believers in peace efforts made since the 1990 Madrid Peace Conference.
For me, peace is hope and strategy. It is the end towards which we have focused all our efforts and energy. But, there cannot be peace with the continuing establishment of Jewish settlements and the confiscation and expropriation of Palestinian land. There cannot be peace with the continuing Israeli denial of the internationally recognized legitimate right of the Palestinians for self determination and an independent state. Peace is possible only if Jerusalem is accepted as a capital of two states, Palestine and Israel. Let us all do what we can to protect peace and protest Jerusalem without which real peace is unachievable.