East Jerusalem: Friday protest moves to Shepherd Hotel

The weekly protest in Sheikh Jarrah took place in front of the Shepherd Hotel yesterday, where demolitions began last Sunday to make way for the construction of a Jewish residential complex owned by Irving Moskowitz. The demolition was met with sharp criticism by the US and European community, however the Prime Minister Office’s response is that this is a private matter that they need not get involved in, insisting that Palestinians have the same rights to renting and buying property as Jews do in the city. However, anyone familiar with the situation in Jerusalem knows this is not true, and the recent story of Nof Zion reported on by 972’s Ami Kaufman is just one blatant example of the inequality between Palestinians and Jews regarding Jerusalem real estate.

According to protestors, the police was especially aggressive and violent yesterday, however no arrests were made.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2W1-cPU868[/youtube]