Israeli Decision to Seize Properties in Bab al-Silsilah in Jerusalem

SadaNews - The Minister of "Jerusalem and Heritage" in the resigned occupation government, Meir Brosh, issued a decision to seize Palestinian properties in the Bab al-Silsilah neighborhood, one of the main entrances to the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, in a new escalation targeting the Palestinian presence in the Old City of occupied Jerusalem.

The decision includes homes and commercial shops located along the Bab al-Silsilah road leading directly to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, without providing specific details about the number of properties or their owners, at a time when field realities confirm that the targeted area falls within historical Palestinian ownership dating back to Ayyubid, Mamluk, and Ottoman periods.

According to Hebrew media outlets, the decision was issued on the eve of Brosh's resignation, which came amid disagreements between the "Haredi" parties and the government regarding the exemption of religious individuals from military service, suggesting that the decision may have been politically motivated to appease the far-right religious community.

Brosh justified his decision by referring to what he called "the return of the Old City to the people of Israel in 1967," claiming that all properties in the so-called "Jewish Quarter" were seized at the time for the benefit of an Israeli government company responsible for its rehabilitation. However, he acknowledged that the current decision has not yet been implemented on the ground, even though it is included in the Israeli confiscation map.

Jerusalem Governorate: A Colonial, Judaizing Step that Targets the Essence of Palestinian Existence

The Jerusalem Governorate confirmed that the decision constitutes a new colonial step targeting the heart of the occupied city and its historical and religious landmarks, opening the door to systematic forced displacement and theft of properties and assets under a facade of false legality.

In a statement issued today, Sunday, the governorate said that targeting the Bab al-Silsilah road, which includes Islamic landmarks and archaeological buildings, is part of intensified efforts to resolve the issue of Jerusalem by imposing Judaizing facts on the ground and emptying the corridors leading to the Al-Aqsa Mosque of their original residents.

The statement added that this decision cannot be isolated from the accelerating Judaization policies, which include settlement expansion, infrastructure projects such as the Israeli train line that penetrates Palestinian neighborhoods, in addition to land registration plans that convert these lands into what is called "state property" serving the colonial project.

The governorate warned that the implementation of the confiscation decision would transform the Bab al-Silsilah road into a closed settlement thoroughfare, used exclusively for the incursions of settlers, threatening freedom of access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and imposing an effective siege on the Islamic and Christian presence in the Old City.

The governorate indicated that what is known as the "Jewish Quarter" was originally established on Palestinian lands that were seized since 1968, which did not exceed five dunams before the Nakba, but later expanded to about 130 dunams, most of which were at the expense of properties belonging to prominent Jerusalemite families such as Al-Namry, Ghanem, Al-Beshiti, Al-Jaouni, Al-Alam, Sharaf, and Barqan.

It also considered that the talk about the intention to seize about 20 properties at this stage constitutes a prelude to a broader phase of displacement and control, as part of an Israeli plan to link the "Jewish Quarter" with neighboring colonial outposts, aiming to change the identity of the Old City and detach it from its Palestinian surroundings.

The governorate emphasized that this decision is a declaration of dangerous political intentions, requiring immediate Palestinian, Arab, and Islamic action, calling on the United Nations and UNESCO to assume their responsibilities in stopping these policies that violate international law and international legitimacy resolutions concerning the city of Jerusalem.

The governorate urged the city's residents and its national and religious institutions to unite and confront this escalation through all means of popular and legal resistance, adherence to rights and identity, and intensive diplomatic work to face this onslaught targeting one of the most important facets of Palestinian existence in occupied Jerusalem.