Israel’s war on Palestinian political life in Jerusalem- by Daoud Kuttab: If Israel truly seeks peace and coexistence, it must begin by recognizing the rights of Palestinians to exist, organize and thrive. That includes respect for international law, the protection of educational and religious institutions, and allowing Palestinians the freedom to engage in normal political and civil life. The international community, in particular Israel’s allies, must also take note: Silence in the face of these violations is complicity. As Israel continues to claim the mantle of democracy, its actions in East Jerusalem tell another story, one of exclusion, repression and systematic erasure.

 "Israeli authorities are redrawing the city not only physically, but socially and spiritually."

Daoud Kuttab

While the world is focused on global economic issues and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, Israel’s recent harsh policies in East Jerusalem mark an alarming new chapter in a long-standing campaign to eliminate any form of organized Palestinian political or civic presence in the city.

Under the pretext of security, Israel has persistently targeted and dismantled institutions that serve as pillars of Palestinian society, be they unions, schools, cultural centers or political offices.

In the latest examples of this, Israeli authorities this week presented orders to shut down six UN-run schools by May 8, and ordered the immediate closure of the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions.

This pattern is not new. For years, and especially since the signing in 1993 of the Palestinian-Israeli Declaration of Principles, also referred to as the Oslo Accords, Israel has worked to dismantle Palestinian institutions in East Jerusalem. They began with closing the historic Orient House, the Chamber of Commerce, the Arab Higher Council for Tourism, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, and the Palestinian Center for Social Research.

Such actions reveal an apartheid reality. Despite claiming East Jerusalem as part of its “unified capital,” Israel continues to act in ways that starkly contradict its self-declared identity as a democratic state. By criminalizing Palestinian civic engagement and political expression, it exposes the discriminatory foundations and strategy of Jewish supremacy in areas under Israeli civilian, as well as military, control.... READ MORE   https://www.arabnews.com/node/2596753

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