The other day I challenged the Times to cover the visit of City Councilman Dov Hikind to the West Bank colonies, and to its credit, the Times has now done a story. Though Isabel Kershner’s explanation of how the two-state-solution depends on segregating Arabs and Jews gave this American pause: "mingling the two populations will destroy the prospects for a two-state solution." Huh.
And the piece has, near the bottom, a section reported by the inspiring Rina Castelnuovo, from another house demolition in East Jerusalem. Kershner (who hasn’t responded to a note I sent her asking if she’s Israeli; I heard that she is) surely rewrote whatever Castelnuovo filed. Note how she underplays the ethnic cleansing and holds the microphone for the Israelis. Emphasis mine:
Across town, in the Arab East Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawiya, the Israeli authorities on Wednesday demolished a Palestinian home that had been built without a permit. The security forces accompanying the bulldozers were pelted with stones. Several other unauthorized structures were taken down in other Arab areas, including Silwan. [Excuse me, but what in heaven’s name does this mean?]
When it comes to demolitions, Jerusalem’s City Hall says it applies the law equally in all parts of the city, regardless of religion or race. But officials acknowledge that the process of obtaining a building permit is costly and complicated. Most Palestinian residents do not qualify.
Many of them feel that the Israelis are trying to push them out.
