Palestinian homes to be razed

Israeli authorities move with a plans to raze 20 Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem, in a building project seen by Palestinians as settlement expansion.

Local residents walk next to a wall painted with graffiti in El Bustan (King's Garden) part of Silwan neighborhood in east Jerusalem on Monday, June 21, 2010.

JERUSALEM // Israeli defence minister Ehud Barak on Tuesday criticised Jerusalem city council for pushing ahead with plans for an archaeological park in annexed east Jerusalem that will involve razing 22 Arab homes. But the minister's remarks focused on the timing rather than the substance of the decision, which he said lacked "common sense." "Jerusalem municipality and the (planning and building) committee are not demonstrating any common sense or any sense of timing - and it is not the first time," Mr Barak said in a statement released by his office.

"The building in Jerusalem must be done with common sense and with a sense of timing," said the minister, who is currently in Washington for a round of top-level talks with US officials. On Monday, the committee approved plans for the development of a controversial archaeological park in the east Jerusalem neighbourhood of Silwan which flanks the Old City - a project which will see 22 illegally-constructed Palestinian homes there flattened.

But the project, known in Hebrew as Gan Hamelech (The King's Garden), still has to pass several more legal steps before it can go ahead. The announcement drew a rebuke from the White House, where the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to hold talks with US President Barack Obama on July 6. "This is expressly the kind of step that we think undermines trust that is fundamental in making progress to the proximity talks and ultimately in direct negotiations," said state department spokesman Philip Crowley.

"We're concerned about it. We've had a number of conversations with the government of Israel about it." In March, Mr Netanyahu asked Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat to freeze the project to avoid sparking conflict in the city, and to steer clear of any further clashes with Washington over building in the eastern sector of the city. "The prime minister had asked for the project to be delayed to allow further dialogue with the residents," a municipal spokesman said on Monday, adding: "That process has been completed."

Several Western countries have also urged Israel to refrain from such demolitions to avoid harming the fledgling indirect peace talks with the Palestinians that began on May 9. * AFP