Jerusalem, June 01: Erasing the remaining history of Arabs and Palestinians in Al-Quds (Occupied East Jerusalem), a new bill was proposed at the Israeli Knesset that requires Hebraizing all Arabic names of its neighborhoods.
‘In our battle for Jerusalem, it is important that we recognize the historic Hebrew roots of the city,’ MK Tzipi Hotovely (Likud), who proposed the bill, told.
‘Neighborhoods in Jerusalem, mostly in the city’s east, are called by their Arabic names,’ Hotovely explained.
‘The Arabic names distance us from our roots.’
Israel occupied the holy city in the 1967 war and later annexed it in a move not recognized by the international community or UN resolutions.
Since then, Israel has adopted a series of oppressive measures to force the Palestinians out of the city, including systematic demolition of their homes and building settlements.
In a new attempt to Judaize al-Quds, the bill would ask the Jerusalem City Council to complete the Hebraization of all city neighborhoods, replace the signposts and not use the previous names in any official matter.
For example, the Palestinian town of Abu Dis will become Kidmat Zion, while Abu Tor will turn into Givat Hananya.
Furthermore, the Israel Broadcasting Authority and the Second Authority for Television and Radio will also be instructed to avoid the previous names and only use the Hebrew names.
Hotovely also quoted a letter written by David Ben-Gurion in which he wrote, ‘Just as we do not recognize Arab political ownership of our land, we do not recognize their spiritual ownership, and we do not need their names, which give off the Arab scent.’
‘Names are part of the national struggle,’ Hotovely said.
Al-Quds is home to Al-Haram Al-Sharif, which includes Islam’s third holiest shrine Al-Aqsa Mosque, and represents the heart of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
A recent report issued earlier this year by the 25 European Union Consuls-General, who are the ambassador-level representatives to the Palestinian Authority, suggested that Al-Quds be treated as the capital of the future Palestinian state.
-Agencies