Israel Matzav

Construction gets underway on Shepherd's Hotel site

I'm sure that many of you recall the Shepherd's Hotel in the Nachlat Shimon (Sheikh Jarrah) neighborhood) of Jerusalem. The hotel was formerly owned by the Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini. The site was purchased by investor Irving Moskowitz in 1985.

On Sunday, bulldozers began to knock down the building to prepare for its replacement: A group of 20 apartments to be populated by Jews.

The Shepherd Hotel is to be replaced by 20 apartments for Israelis. Workmen and earth-moving equipment were knocking down the structure at the site in the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah on Sunday.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat condemned the demolition of the hotel. "As long as this government continues with settlement and acts like the demolition of the Shepherd Hotel there will no negotiations," he said.

MK Dov Henin (Hadash) also harshly criticized the demolition of the hotel, saying the move "exterminates the chance of a Palestinian capital in east Jerusalem existing side-by-side with an Israeli capital in the west."

Henin said that the building of the new Jewish neighborhood in Sheikh Jarrah was a calculated political move meant to prevent the Palestinians from making their capital in the eastern part of the city.

"Without two capitals in Jerusalem, there can be no two-state solution and we will be sentenced to eternal war," Henin added.

The land is owned by a Jew and there is no reason he should not be able to build on it for Jews.

There's a march against the construction (it actually says that it's against the 'Judaization of east Jerusalem) scheduled for 4:00 pm on Sunday (link in Hebrew followed by English). I wonder if any Abu Rahma's will show up.

Labels: Irving Moskowitz, Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, Nachlat Shimon, Sheikh Jarrah, Shepherd's Hotel

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:06 PM