Palestine News Network (PNN) : "New city for religious Jews threatening Arabs in Galilee area"

                                    

New city for religious Jews threatening Arabs in Galilee area

30.07.09 - 15:57

Tel Aviv/PNN - Israel is considering plans to construct a new town housing 50,000 ultra-orthodox Jews near Nazareth, threatening to overwhelm the area’s Arab villages.

The move comes following last month’s calls by Israeli Housing Minister for religious Jews to “save” the north of Israel from a “takeover” by its majority Arab population.

The city will cover roughly six thousand acres, including areas which were Arab villages before 1948, shattering hopes that refugees may one day be able to return to the area.

The Arab Centre for Alternative Planning has warned that the project would surround the nearby village of Ein Mahl entirely, creating an “Arab ghetto.” It stated that this was part of a large Israeli plan to “judaize” the Galilee area, marginalizing local Arabs.

Israel’s Housing Minister, Ariel Atias, told a conference earlier this month that his priority was to prevent the “spread” of Arab citizens. “We can all be bleeding hearts, but I think it is unsuitable [for Jews and Arabs] to live together.”

Other cities in Israel are also attempting to Judaize, with the mayor of Acre calling for an influx of orthodox Jews to weaken the Arab presence in the city.

Mohammed Barakeh, an Arab politician within Israel, condemned plans as discriminatory. "Racism is spreading throughout the government, and Minister Atias is the latest to express it."

Israeli Military Governor Colonel Mikhael Mikhael admitted that one aim of the new town’s construction was to “swallow up” the nearby Arab city of Nazareth and “transfer the center of gravity of life from Nazareth to the Jewish neighborhood."


http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6313



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