Land Research Center

The Occupied City has witnessed increased attacks against everything Arabic in the city; the Israeli racist and colonial occupation launched a large-scale attack on the Occupied City heritages, culture, identity, its sacred sites, people, buildings, and even trees; all done to uproot the Palestinians from their origins, to forge history in order to change the future.

Numerically speaking, violations recorded by the Land Research Center – LRC field staff include the following:

1. Land:
   - confiscating more than 3158 dunums of Palestinian lands.
   - ravaging, uprooting, or destroying 1098 trees of which 880 were completely lost.
2. Residency: - demolishing 41 residence inhabited by 282 Palestinians (including 177 children). - 134 demolition orders. - Demolishing 56 structures and threatening 17 others - 14 residences are threatened of eviction and possible take over while Hijjo family residence in Silwan was seized by Israeli colonists. - demolition orders for two residential buildings in Beit Hanina as well as a proposed plan to cleanse the whole neighborhood of Um Haroun in the Occupied City.
   

Construction is forbidden while demolitions are permitted:

LRC views the previous statement as a systematic approach adopted by the Israeli Occupying power; an organized approach implemented by the Israeli Municipality in the Occupied City under the protection of the Israeli Army.

"We must create unbearable living conditions for the Arabs in order to make them leave the city… construction (or preventing it) seem to be the most efficient method".

Nevertheless, the Palestinians are holding on to their lands and houses in the Occupied City; a right guaranteed by the International legitimacy and history. The International Community is obliged to provide the Palestinians with protection and the removal of the last colonial occupation.