Jerusalem municipality to confiscate land in al-Isawiya

Officers of the Israeli municipal council of Jerusalem on Monday posted confiscation orders on vast areas of private Palestinian land in the East Jerusalem town of al-Isawiya, says a local committee member.

Muhammad Abu al-Hummus told Ma’an that the maps and confiscation warrants were left in the land in the southern outskirt of al-Isawiya. The warrants, signed by the mayor of Jerusalem Nir Barakat, say that the land will be planted with trees so as to serve as a public park because “its owners have deserted it.”

Slamming the Israeli move, Abu al-Hummus said it would be an “introductory step before confiscating the land” to build the so-called national park.

“What public is the occupation municipality talking about? The people of al-Isawiya need these lands to build houses and schools for their children rather than open parks,” said Abu al-Hummus.

The claims that the land was deserted are “false,” added Abu al-Hummus highlighting that vast areas were planted with trees but “crews of Jerusalem municipality and the Israeli nature authority from time to time level the land and uproot all trees.”

Abu al-Hummus pointed out that “the so-called national planning and zoning committee” had decided in September 2014 to cancel the national park project which was supposed to be established on 740 dunams of Palestinian land of al-Tur and al-Isawiya neighborhoods. Ma'anNews