UN expert castigates Israel's destruction of heritage in Jerusalem
Regional, Politics, 11/19/1999

A UN expert who visited Jerusalem to evaluate the cultural heritage of the old city has sharply criticized Israel for demolishing the monumental heritage and sites of Jerusalem.

"The old city is becoming a prisoner of urbanization, professor Leon Pressouryre, who was assigned to visit Jerusalem by UNESCO Director General, said in a report on his ten-day mission to Jerusalem that started on September 1.

Pressouryre urged UNESCO to express its concern about the actions taken by Israeli authorities concerning the constructions being done in historic sites.

The report, quoted by the Kuwaiti news agency KUNA, said the old city is no longer in the outposts of the desert but in the heart of an area undergoing urbanization.

He mentioned in particular the "greater Jerusalem" project that was denounced by Israelis and Palestinians alike.

Pressouryre, who said his mission was blocked by Israeli authorities, added Tel Aviv's latest decision to stop building new settlements was a positive measure, but not enough.

According to the report, the large-scale constructions in Maale Adoumin, the largest settlement in East Jerusalem of approximately 60,000 inhabitants, would have serious consequences for the environment.

In his report, which was submitted to UNESCO members for possible future action, Pressouryre, former vice rector of Sorbonne, attacked Israel's "social changes policy," and the construction of Jewish settlements which he said were affecting the consistency of the urban fabric and of the build heritage in the old city.

His conclusion on the social changes was based on the four quarters in Jerusalem built for the Moslem, Jewish, Christian and Armenian communities.

"The tradition distinction between four major quarters can still be seen in the old city, but the cultural characteristic of these historic quarters are changing," he said.

The envoy spoke specifically on the dangers facing the Moslem quarter, saying that "overpopulation and changes in social composition" remain a threat to this area.

On the changes in social composition, the professor referred to the construction of housing units for Israeli settlers within the Moslem quarter.

"Another danger facing the old city is the "open space," and the best example for this scenario is the sensitive zone of Burj Al-Laqlaq," situated in the northeastern corner of the wall of Suleyman the Magnificent where a plan had been drawn to allocate a space for Jewish settlements.

"The establishment of a small Jewish quarter, with or without a synagogue on the site of Burj Al-Laqlaq, would constitute both a historical falsification and an extremely serious provocation," he said.

Burjal-Laqlaq was occupied by a group of Israeli "Squatters" in May 1998 who wanted to establish a settlement there.

As a result, Pressouryre said excavations were carried out by the Israeli antiquities authorities. He was quoting a letter from Faisal Al-Hussaini, Palestinian official in charge of Jerusalem, sent on June 1998 in this regard.

He called the UNESCO to express its concern about the use of a noteworthy historic and archaeological site.

The envoy also spoke of lack of security arrangements for the Christian quarter especially as preparations are underway for the celebration of the second millennium of the birth of Christ.

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