Let us light resistance candles: A campaign to raise donations for Old Jerusalem

Jordan

Published: 2017-11-01 16:38

Last Updated: 2024-03-28 07:05


Let us light resistance candles: A campaign to raise donations for Old Jerusalem
Let us light resistance candles: A campaign to raise donations for Old Jerusalem

The hashtag "Let us light resistance candles" or "فلنشعل قناديل صمودها" is taking off on Twitter, as part of a campaign launched by the Jordanian Engineers Association to raise money in support of Palestinians in Old Jerusalem, by rebuilding their old homes and schools.

The campaign was launched on Wednesday in reaction to Israel’s house demolition policy against Palestinian Jerusalemites, and will continue for two days.

By Wednesday 3:00 pm, donations had reached 378,193 JODs, and they are expected to double by the end of the day.

Donations are accepted at the Professional Associations Complex in Amman and all cities and in Hayat FM main Studios.

And here are some tweets published under the hashtag #فلنشعل_قناديل_صمودها:

 

Israel’s Cleansing Plans

The campaign comes as Israel’s Jerusalem Affairs Minister Zeev Elkin announced plans aimed to remove Palestinians from Jerusalem, by splitting off Palestinian neighborhoods situated next to the separation wall and placing them under a new Israeli jurisdiction, according to Wafa news.

PLO Executive Committee member Hanan Ashrawi Tuesday condemned what she described as a “dangerous plan”, which specifically targets Shufat refugee camp, Kufr Aqab, al-Walaja, and a small part of al-Sawahreh camp.


Homes Demolitions in Jerusalem


In 2016, Israeli demolitions reached a 10-year high in the occupied territories, with over 1,560 Palestinians displaced by the destruction of homes and agricultural structures, according to UN data.

In 2017, the pace of demolitions is set to overtake last year's record, with over 66 homes demolished during the first four months of the year.

Meanwhile, Palestinian residents in Jerusalem’s Old City have faced various Israeli violations since 1948, with Israeli forces forcing them to leave their homes and cities, especially by preventing them from constructing new homes, according to Al Jazeera.

Additionally, according to the Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem (ARIJ), land prices are very high in Palestinian neighborhoods close to the Old City of East Jerusalem, and are area is also a prime location for Israeli settlements.

Testimonies collected by ARIJ from Palestinians in the neighborhood of Silwan, located near the Old City, found that the procedures to apply for Israeli-issued building permits were lengthy, and application costs could reach up to 300,000 shekels ($79,180).