Jerusalem mayor: I’ll evacuate illegal settler house, demolish illegal Palestinian structures
By APThursday, February 4, 2010
Settler house to be evacuated in Jerusalem
JERUSALEM — Jerusalem’s mayor has agreed to evacuate a building Jewish settlers put up illegally in the heart of a predominantly Palestinian neighborhood.
But Nir Barkat said Thursday he’ll also demolish dozens of Palestinian-owned structures erected illegally in the holy city.
Sovereignty over Jerusalem’s traditionally Arab sector is one of the most explosive issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Evacuations and demolitions on either side of the political divide could trigger violent showdowns.
Barkat opposes sharing Jerusalem with the Palestinians in any final peace deal.
He had tried to buck an order to evacuate the seven-story structure, built in 2004 by an ultranationalist settler group in east Jerusalem.
The attorney general’s office forced him to back down.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.
JERUSALEM (AP) — Jerusalem’s mayor has agreed to evacuate a building Jewish settlers put up illegally in the heart of a predominantly Palestinian neighborhood.
But Nir Barkat said Thursday he’ll also demolish dozens of Palestinian-owned structures erected illegally in the holy city.
Sovereignty over Jerusalem’s traditionally Arab sector is one of the most explosive issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Evacuations and demolitions on either side of the political divide could trigger violent showdowns.
Barkat opposes sharing Jerusalem with the Palestinians in any final peace deal.
He had tried to buck an order to evacuate the seven-story structure, built in 2004 by an ultranationalist settler group in east Jerusalem.
The attorney general’s office forced him to back down.
