Dr. Ashrawi: Israel attempts to erase Palestinian presence in Jerusalem by shutting down more Palestinian institutions

“We strongly condemn Israel's closure of several Palestinian institutions in occupied Jerusalem, including the Office of the Directorate of Education, Palestine TV offices and the Al-Rasasi mosque. This is a continuation of the Israeli government’s campaign against everything Palestinian in occupied Jerusalem and an attempt to alter the cultural and demographic composition of the City, in violation of its previous commitment to guarantee preserving Palestinian institutions in Jerusalem as well.

Israel is willfully adopting measures to complete the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Jerusalem while targeting all aspects of Palestinian life there and throughout the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory. It has been enabled to commit such egregious violations, including arbitrary detention, home demolitions, direct and indirect transfer of Palestinians, revoking Jerusalem IDs, land grab, deliberate harassment and annexation due to the full support and collusion of the current US administration and in the absence of accountability by the international community.

We reiterate our call to all international bodies and states to take immediate and tangible steps to hold Israel accountable for its persistent crimes and violations. Without ensuring accountability, Israel will continue to act with impunity as part of the rising extremist coalition that has adopted an agenda of unilateralism and lawlessness. The Palestinian people's cultural, historic, religious, and national roots are deeply rooted in Jerusalem. They will outlast and overcome these acts of pervasive oppression.”