50 MPs urge gov’t to prevent listing of Palestinian villages as Israeli heritage sites

AMMAN — A group of MPs on Tuesday called on the government to take the necessary action to prevent Israel from declaring two Palestinian villages in occupied Jerusalem as Israeli heritage sites.

In a memorandum they signed during Tuesday’s Lower House session, 50 lawmakers warned against measures being taken by the Israeli occupation authorities to declare the Palestinian villages of Lafta and Ein Kerem near Jerusalem as part of Israel’s heritage.

The memo, which was initiated by MP Khalil Atiyeh, said Lafta and Ein Karem are Palestinian villages occupied by Israel, which has no right to turn them into tourist sites.

Atiyeh and five other MPs have recently visited the West Bank and East Jerusalem where they met with several Palestinian officials. 

Signatories called on the government to press for a halt to the Israeli scheme, and work, through UNESCO on listing the two 1948-occupied villages as part of the Palestinian heritage.

In addition to the historic and cultural dangers, Israel’s declaration of Palestinian villages as heritage and tourist sites severely harms the livelihood of people there, according to Palestinians who spoke to the MPs and cited several restrictions put in place by Israel’s occupation authorities while carrying out such projects.

In its morning session, deputies passed new amendments to Civil Status Law.

The House reconvened in the afternoon in an oversight session during which the government responded to 20 questions posed by MPs.

Most of the MPs who asked the government about certain issues and demands were satisfied with answers given by the concerned minister.

According to the House’s Rules of Procedure, deputies have the right to turn their questions into inquiries if not satisfied with the response.  

Health insurance, the monthly pricing mechanism for oil derivatives as well as regional demands were among the issues MPs asked the government about.