Tensions are growing between the European Union and Israel over a draft document that slams Israeli policies in East Jerusalem and calls on EU countries to strengthen Palestinian claims to the city.
A second document, to be discussed in Brussels next week, seeks EU recognition of East Jerusalem as capital of a Palestinian state.
In addition, an Israeli human rights group says Israel is stripping Palestinians of their Jerusalem residency permits at a growing rate.
The classified report, drafted by European consuls in Jerusalem and the West Bank town of Ramallah, was leaked to the daily Haaretz.
Foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor confirmed details in the Haaretz report were correct.
The report accuses the Israeli government and the municipality of working deliberately to change the city’s demographic balance and sever East Jerusalem from the West Bank.
Some 200,000 Israelis and 250,000 Palestinians live in East Jerusalem. Israel annexed it in 1967 in a move not recognized by the international community. Palestinians say East Jerusalem must be the capital of a future Palestinian state. The U.S. position is that Jerusalem is among “core issues” to be resolved through negotiations.
The report says 35 per cent of Jerusalem’s residents are Arab yet only 5 to 10 per cent of the city’s budget goes to Arab neighbourhoods. It also says Palestinians have received fewer than 200 building permits per year for the past several years, while they need another 1,500 housing units per year. The report calls on the EU to become more active to secure Palestinian control over Jerusalem.
“The consuls never contact the Israeli government on any of this, so it is based exclusively on Palestinian information,” said Palmor. “Some of the information is simply incorrect.”
Palmor said he is more concerned about the second document being sent around by Sweden, which currently holds the EU presidency.
The document, to be discussed next week, calls on EU foreign ministers to recognize East Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state.
“This would recognize Palestinian claims to East Jerusalem, but not Israeli claims to West Jerusalem,” said Palmor. “The situation with Sweden has become quite tense.”
HaMoked (Centre for the Defence of the Individual) said 4,577 East Jerusalem residents had their permits revoked last year. Residency lets Palestinians move freely in the city and Israel, and entitles them to health care and social security.
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