Orient House was occupied at Sharon's directives

The British daily "Sunday Times" issued on Sunday in London said that the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon has personally ordered the Israeli forces to occupy Beit al-Sharq (the Orient House) in Jerusalem and to hoist the Israeli flag over it instead of the Palestinian flag.

The paper added that hoisting the Israeli flag over " the Orient house " is considered a clear message from Sharon that Israel will not give up the city of Jerusalem. A matter which was considered by western diplomat as very grave.

The paper stressed that Israel's occupation of " the Orient House" represents a grave escalation of the Arab- Israeli conflict as a whole, noting that the Palestinians decided to hold demonstrations and daily confrontation until the Israeli soldiers withdraw from Beit al-Sharq.