Even while the world reels over Israel's aggression against humanitarian aid convoys to Gaza, in Jerusalem the march to Judaise the city continues, writes Khaled Amayreh Forced expulsion, revocation of residency rights, excessive taxation, mass house demolition, recurrent land seizure and bulldozing Arab property. These are some of the main components of Israel's latest aggressive campaign to rid East Jerusalem of its Arab demographics and identity. Judaising, by any and all means, the occupied Arab city that Israel seized from Jordan in 1967 is Israel's way of undermining any semblance of efforts towards peace, vanishing the two-state solution. A few weeks ago, the Israeli Interior Ministry decided to banish four Jerusalem residents who happened to be members of the Palestinian Legislative Council: Mohamed Abu Tir, Ahmed Athwan, Mohamed Toutah and former minister for Jerusalem affairs Khaled Abu Arafeh. The four received letters stating that their residency rights were being revoked. Several other local leaders also received warnings that "they were being closely watched," and that they ought to be concerned about "the consequences of their activities". Since 2007, as many as 3,000 Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem have lost their residency rights by decision of the Israeli government. Israeli officials claim the decision to expel the four Palestinian lawmakers stems from their affiliation with Hamas and their refusal to recognise Israel. There is suspicion, however, that the Hamas card is being utilised as a pretext whereas the real aim is to ethnically cleanse East Jerusalem, starting with leaders who could organise opposition to Israel's plan. Mohamed Abu Tir is now fighting the Israeli order. Abu Tir, 59, spent as many as 30 years of his life behind bars for refusing the Israeli occupation and for his association with the Islamic resistance movement, Hamas. In 2006, shortly after he was set free from an Israeli jail, he ran for the Palestinian legislative elections in East Jerusalem, winning more votes than any other candidate. This didn't bode well with the Israelis who seized the first opportunity to get him back in jail. That opportunity came when Hamas fighters in Gaza captured an Israeli soldier in June 2006. Some 45 Islamist MPs were rounded up, including Abu Tir, to be used as hostages or bargaining chips to force Hamas to release the imprisoned soldier. Most of the abducted MPs have been freed by now, but Hamas is refusing to release the Israeli soldier, insisting that Israel release a number of Palestinian political prisoners languishing in Israeli jails and detention camps. Over 7,000 Palestinian detainees are incarcerated in Israel, mostly on charges pertaining to opposing the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land. Abu Tir says the Israeli decision to banish him and his three other colleagues is an expression of "nervousness, arrogance and moral bankruptcy". "Israel has been making tremendous efforts to consolidate its authority in Jerusalem since 1967. They have committed every conceivable crime to obliterate the Arab-Islamic identity of Jerusalem." "This is ethnic cleansing in broad daylight. The decision is a brash message to the native inhabitants of Jerusalem that non-Jews have no place in the city and that if they want to stay, they will have either to settle for a slave-like status, or convert to Talmudic Judaism." The red-bearded Abu Tir described world reactions, especially Arab-Islamic reactions, as "disgraceful and cowardly". "The Zionist Jews are expelling us from our city, our land, and the world is watching as if this crime were taking place on another planet." He added that as far as Israel was concerned, the decision to banish the Islamist MPs from Jerusalem was only the beginning. "Israel is watching Arab, Islamic and international reactions. If this decision passes quietly, then more and more Jerusalemites will be expelled. Hence, the gravity and dangerous nature of the decision." Mohamed Toutah, another targeted MP, concurs. "I have no doubt that the decision to expel us from our hometown is a test case which if successful would be followed by more massive expulsions of Arabs from the city." Fatah official in East Jerusalem Ziad Al-Hammouri, director of the Jerusalem Centre for Legal Rights, calls the Israeli decision a "dangerous precedent". "We are being uprooted from our homes, from our city, and any person trying to protest this oppression is hounded and his residency rights revoked. We haven't faced this level of repression since 1967." This week, the Israeli occupation authorities decided to demolish 22 Arab homes at the Silwan neighbourhood in East Jerusalem. Another 66 homes are reportedly slated for demolition. The planned demolitions are intended to allow for the creation of a so-called "Talmudic park" in the Arab locality. Palestinian sources as well as human rights groups argue forcefully that the real goal behind the demolitions is to consolidate Jewish settlers' hold over the neighbourhood. The US has asked Israel for "clarifications" about the new demolitions. Palestinians have heard this before.
