J'lem Arabs push separate municipality

by ryan | June 5, 2007 at 01:13 pm

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As a reaction to the 40th anniversary of the Six Day War, residents of East Jerusalem are protesting the annexation of that territory following the war by claiming an independent municipality in East Jerusalem.

Unlike other territory conquered by Israel in the 1967 war, East Jerusalem was officially annexed as part of the State of Israel, the legality of the annexation in questioned by some in the face of international law.

An alliance of Jerusalem Arab organizations on Monday launched an international campaign to create an independent municipality for Arab residents of east Jerusalem.

The announcement was largely seen as a trial balloon for an idea that has been floated in the past.

The campaign was kicked off with a press conference in east Jerusalem and a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. It is being organized by the Jerusalem Civil Society Consortium, which is made up of 58 east Jerusalem organizations.