High-profile Israeli delegation visits settlement projects in Silwan, Jerusalem

High-profile Israeli delegation visits settlement projects in Silwan « Wadi Hilweh Information Center – Silwan: "Outspoken support in Israel for Jewish settlement projects in Silwan has seen a host of Israeli political figures pay visits to the threatened East Jerusalem neighborhood. Such appearances invariably coincide with a large presence of Israeli military and police, accompanying politicians on their inspection of the settler dwellings with little regard paid to the majority Palestinian population of Silwan.

Such an apperance was made yesterday, noted residents of Wadi Hilweh district of Silwan, as the unprecedented but all too familiar sight of an Israeli military influx descended upon the neighborhood. The large force of soldiers and police presided over an armored car later identified as carrying well-known attorney Yehuda Weinstein, State Prosecutor Moshe Lador and Jerusalem Police Chief Aharon Franko, en route to the Jewish settler projects in Wadi Hilweh.

The high profile company first visited the house of Dawood Hussein – though still known in the community for the Palestinian native of Silwan who once resided there, the home has since been taken over by settlers and is now inhabited by Jewish families. Weinstein, Lador and Franko were received by David Beeri, director of Elad settlement organization, notorious for its aggressive campaign of Judaization underway in Silwan. Elad’s goal is to change the demographic makeup of Silwan so radically as to create a Jewish majority via land seizure and home annexation through employment of Israel’s complex system of property laws.

It is understood that the visiting figures were given a briefing by Beeri on the current conditions of the various settlement projects underway in Silwan. Weinstein and his cohorts were then given a personal tour around the settlement outposts in the Baten el-Hawa neighborhood. A growing number of frustrated Palestinian youth, spurred on by the large presence of Israeli military and police in their neighborhood, tossed paint and stones at the army vehicles outside the settlement buildings receiving the visiting officials.

The so-called tour served only to further prove to the Palestinian residents of Silwan the unquestionable bias of the Israeli authorities to the Jewish settlers inhabiting their land and disregard for the majority Palestinian population. The people of Silwan were subjected once again yesterday to what is, in essence, the complete militarization of a residential, civilian community space, by the overwhelming force of armed Israeli military and police presiding over the visit. Said one resident “Weinstein and his cronies have committed a grave mistake in ignoring us [the Palestinian people of Silwan], though he may not realise it – the settlers are a fundamental part of the problem here. As the proverb goes – if your opponent is the judge, to whom shall you complain?”

The State Attorney's visit in the settlement in Silwan, 19/8/10:

"peacenowisrael | August 21, 2010

On 19/8/10 the Israeli State Attorney, Moshe Lador, together with the Government Legal Adviser, Yehuda Veinstein, the Commander of Jerusalem Police, Aharon Franco and other senior members of the Ministry of Justice, visited the settlements in Silwan, and were hosted by the settlers.
They started the visit at the 'Aderet Compound' which was in the past owned by Palestinians, and now used by the settlers, where they were hosted by the chairman of the settler association of Elad, who briefed the guessed.
Then, they moved in an armored car to the neighborhood of Battan al-hawa, where they visited the 'Beit Yonatan' settlers house.
They didn't come to see the situation on the ground as it is seen from the local Palestinian residents perspective.

The footage was taken by www.silwanic.net.



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