Moslem Council Says Israel Trying to ‘judaize’ Old City of Jerusalem

The Moslem Council in East Jerusalem has accused Israel of attempting to “Judaize” the entire area of the Old City and of planning to change the cultural patterns of its Arab residents. The charges, contained in a statement published today by the Council, referred to the activities of the Jewish Quarter Reconstruction Co, which since 1968 has been engaged in the rehabilitation of the Jewish quarter destroyed under the Jordanian regime.

The statement protested the recent evacuation of Arabs living on the border between the Jewish and Moslem quarters. The evacuees received compensation and alternative housing. A spokesman for the Israeli company said the evacuation affected only the area where the company had legal powers to act.

The Moslem Council also protested the Israeli decision to open a Moslem court under Israeli jurisdiction in East Jerusalem. It will be run by Israeli Moslem Judges and will parallel the religious courts set-up under the former Jordanian regime. The move was taken after the failure to integrate the former Moslem courts into the Israeli judicial system.

President Zalman Shazar reiterated this week that he plans to retire after ending his second term in office in May. “I think I would not advise the government to suggest I serve an additional period,” the 83-year-old President said on Israel Radio. He declined to say who might be a suitable candidate to succeed him. “Whoever does take the job has to aspire to represent all sections of the people, and I would advise anyone who feels he can’t, not to take the post,” Shazar said.