Palestine News Network, Palestine
May 9 2005

Confiscated Orient House documents prove land-grab intentions
Maisa Abu Ghazaleh, Jerusalem

Israeli sources confirm that the occupation authorities made plans to
Judaize the city of Jerusalem after confiscating documents from the
Orient House of Jerusalem. The Israeli authorities closed the Orient
House, which dealt with Palestinian affairs in occupied Jerusalem, in
2001. Head of Orient House, Faisal Al Huseini, was in charge of the
Jerusalem file for the PLO.

The sources said that the confiscated files contained a complete
survey of Palestinian lands and houses in East Jerusalem, and areas
under threat of sale to Jewish and Israeli organizations. Sources
confirmed that according to those files Israeli settler companies try
to buy the maximum amount of properties in the city, as became more
apparent with the latest land sale scandal by the Greek Orthodox
Patriarch.

The Israeli Minister of Internal Security closed the Orient House for
being considered a political institution of the Palestinian Authority
in East Jerusalem. The Israelis said the organization was a sign that
would permit East Jerusalem to be declared the capital of the future
Palestinian state.

The Old City of Jerusalem is inhabited by 32,000 Palestinians.
Israeli Jews number at 4,000 living in the Jewish Quarter and in
houses scattered throughout the Christian, Muslim and Armenian
quarters. Even Israeli PM Sharon bought a house there from which he
drapes an Israeli flag. Outside the Old City live 230,000 Israeli
Jews, which is approximately the same number of Palestinians in the
city.