Monday October 08, 2007

Head of the Israeli Army Forces in the occupied West Bank, Gadi Sheemny, issued on Monday a military order annexing 1130 Dunams of Palestinian lands in Al Sawahra Al Sharqiyya and Abu Dees towns, near Jerusalem.

Hasan Abed-Rabbo, head of the Palestinian Ministry of Local Government in Jerusalem area, stated that the army handed military orders and maps to several residents informing them of the sizes of the annexed lands.

The residents were informed that they have 21 days to file appeals against these orders.

This plan, Abed-Rabbo stated, will create a link between different settlements around Jerusalem, such as Ma'ale Adumim, Qidar, Mishor Adomim and several other settlements in the area which will block any geographical contiguity of the Palestinians areas and will isolate thousands of Palestinian lands which will be behind the Wall.

This annexation is part of the so-called "Greater Jerusalem Plan", which aims at isolating the Palestinian towns and villages adjacent to Jerusalem and blocking their access to the Holy city while at the same time creating easy access from and to all settlements surrounding the city and consider them part of the "Greater Jerusalem" area.

Abed-Rabbo said that these measures contradict and violate all efforts for creating positive atmosphere for peace talks, and violate the advisory ruling of the International Court of Justice which considered the Wall illegal and called for dismantling it.

Palestinian towns and villages around Jerusalem became isolated from the City and from the rest of the occupied West Bank. Residents of those areas mainly work in Jerusalem, their children go to schools there and receive medical treatment in Arab hospitals in the city.

Such Israeli plans to totally isolate them aim at forcing them to choose between keeping their Jerusalem identity cards but remain isolated, or giving their Jerusalem residency away and moving to Palestinian territories in the West Bank.

Translated by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC