Jerusalem: The Governorate of Jerusalem condemned on Monday evening the Israeli occupation authorities' approval of a new package of de-Palestinization decisions and schemes during a government meeting held on the occasion of so-called "Jerusalem Day."
According to Palestine news and Information Agency, the Governorate described the approval of such decisions as a dangerous escalation that reflects the acceleration of colonial policies aimed at imposing facts on the ground to alter the geographic and demographic character of the occupied city of Jerusalem. These actions are seen as serving the Israeli colonial project and targeting the obliteration of the city's Arabic, Islamic, and Christian identity, under the guise of advancing "heritage," "development," and "security" projects as tools to entrench annexation and occupation.
The Governorate emphasized that these decisions are part of a systematic plan aimed at tightening control over Palestinian Territory, holy sites, and historical landmarks. It noted that they seek to entrench the occupation's narrative within Jerusalem's landscape, in violation of international law and UN resolutions, which confirm that all Israeli measures in occupied Jerusalem are null and void since Jerusalem is an integral part of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967.
The approved decisions included reallocating the former compound of the United Nations agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood for the establishment of an Israeli occupation army museum, a recruitment office, and an Israeli Ministry of 'Defence' HQ. The Governorate criticized this step as a dangerous escalation intended to turn a UN headquarters, which enjoys international immunities and privileges, into Israeli military and security facilities.
Additionally, the decisions involved the establishment of a colonial heritage center at the site of the International Qalandiya Airport. This project, led by the Israeli Ministry of Heritage, aims to transform the site into a tourist and educational center that serves the occupation's narrative in the city. The project plans to rehabilitate the airport's historic buildings, including the passenger terminal built during the British Mandate period and expanded during the Jordanian era, and set up exhibitions documenting the "history of Israeli aviation" and the "history of colonization" in the area referred to as "Atarot."
Furthermore, the occupation government approved a plan to establish a center for populations with special needs south of the Old City. The plan includes residential and service facilities, and the center is also intended to serve as an "evacuation" center during emergencies.
