CAIRO (AlArabiya.net)
The Israeli government stamped out Palestinian cultural celebrations marking Jerusalem as the “capital of Arab culture” for 2009 on Saturday as Israeli security forces increased their presence in the Old City and all Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem and Nazareth.
Public Security Minister Avi Dichter ordered heavy police presence in Arab populated areas in Jerusalem to prevent any celebrations organized by the Palestinian Authority (PA) to mark Jerusalem as the capital of Arab culture of the year, Haaretz reported Saturday.
Jerusalem, al-Quds in Arabic, was designated the 2009 “capital of Arab culture” by Arab ministers of culture and the Arab League as part of the Cultural Capital program initiative that began in 1997.
The Arab League chose Jerusalem as the Capital of Arab Culture 2009 Since its designation two yeas ago, the al-Quds Capital of Arab Culture festival faced challenges to organize events in Israeli-occupied Jerusalem as the Israeli-controlled municipality refused to grant the organizers any permits.
Israeli police prevented Palestinians from congregating in public areas, while Palestinian students were prevented from entering the Old City and visiting the al-Aqsa mosque. Any signs of celebrating like flying Palestinian flags or balloons were also banned. Other plans for celebrations included flying a glider plane painted with colors of the Palestinian flag over walls of the Old City. |
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No to Palestinian sovereignty " The law obligates the Palestinian Authority to respect the sovereignty of Israel within the boundaries of the State of Israel, including East Jerusalem " Nachi Eyal, Israeli government Israel said the cultural events violated a ban on Palestinian political activity in Jerusalem. Israeli police said events organized and funded by the PA are prohibited in the Jerusalem jurisdiction by laws that curtail shows of Palestinian sovereignty within Israel.
"The law...obligates the Palestinian Authority to respect the sovereignty of Israel within the boundaries of the State of Israel, including East Jerusalem," Nachi Eyal, head of the Legal Forum for the Land of Israel.
However Arab Israeli Knesset members said the crackdown on cultural celebrations was racist.
"The event planned for Saturday evening was initiated by the municipality of Nazareth and sponsored by the Palestinian Authority and was meant to be a cultural event," MK Mohammed Barakeh of the Hadash party was quoted by Haaretz as saying. |
" This government is not only an enemy of any hope for peace, but also an enemy of culture and all that is humane " Mohammed Barakeh, Arab Israeli MK "This government is not only an enemy of any hope for peace, but also an enemy of culture and all that is humane," said Barakeh. "There is a fact that all of Israel's deluded efforts cannot change, and that is that al-Quds [Jerusalem] will be the capital of Palestine."
Simultaneous ceremonies sponsored by Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas officially kicked off in Bethlehem, Gaza, and Mar Ilias Refugee Camp in Lebanon Saturday in an effort to maintain cultural ties between Palestinian communities in Palestine and in the Diaspora. |
