E. Jerusalem residents refuse Jerusalem municipality’s offer of building a football field because of “normalization”
Official PA TV program Buy Time in Jerusalem, on the southeastern Jerusalem neighborhood of Jabel Mukaber, hosting Jabel Mukaber resident Attorney Raed Bashir
Jabel Mukaber resident Attorney Raed Bashir: “When we talk about issuing demands and turning to the occupation’s [Jerusalem] Municipality, often they want us to make requests and want to give us [what we've requested]. However, there are serious obstacles. For example, several times over the years the municipality has proposed that it would establish a [football] field here, with stands and lighting and all that is required. But such a proposal definitely has a price, as what it means is that they will develop it, and the field will be theirs, and at any point in time it could become an army camp or police station because it is public land belonging to the municipality. That is something unacceptable, because it’s normalization and will have negative consequences, especially since the sons of the neighborhood completely reject any [Israeli] presence and do not recognize the municipality as the Jerusalem Municipality, but rather it is the occupation’s municipality.”
Jabel Mukaber resident Attorney Raed Bashir: “When we talk about issuing demands and turning to the occupation’s [Jerusalem] Municipality, often they want us to make requests and want to give us [what we've requested]. However, there are serious obstacles. For example, several times over the years the municipality has proposed that it would establish a [football] field here, with stands and lighting and all that is required. But such a proposal definitely has a price, as what it means is that they will develop it, and the field will be theirs, and at any point in time it could become an army camp or police station because it is public land belonging to the municipality. That is something unacceptable, because it’s normalization and will have negative consequences, especially since the sons of the neighborhood completely reject any [Israeli] presence and do not recognize the municipality as the Jerusalem Municipality, but rather it is the occupation’s municipality.”