Turkish nongovernmental organization Mirasimiz ("Our Heritage") has embarked on yet another campaign aimed at bolstering the country's influence in Jerusalem.
The organization, which serves as Turkey's operational arm in east Jerusalem, is now accusing Israel of preventing Palestinians from harvesting olives, thereby harming their livelihood.
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The NGO asked for donations on its website and Facebook page for the purchase of olive trees to be planted in the city.
The Lach Yerushalayim organization, which promotes Israeli sovereignty over all parts of Jerusalem, blasted the move as a fraudulent attempt by Mirasimiz to portray Israel as actively preventing the development of the Palestinians' symbolic economic industry.
"Turkey is taking advantage of the olive harvest period to fundraise and incite against the State of Israel," according to Lach Yerushalayim Chairman Maor Tzemach.
"We are once again witness to Turkish President [Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan's meddling in east Jerusalem," he said. "The time has come to put an end to Turkish activity, which aims to undermine Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem. We must put [Foreign] Minister Israel Katz's plan, which aims to counter Turkish activity in east Jerusalem, into action," Tzemach said.
In July of 2018, Israel Hayom revealed that Mirasimiz had been renovating homes in east Jerusalem and handing out food to the needy in the capital's Arab sector. The report also revealed that the organization had been operating a summer camp.
On its website, Mirasimiz said it was teaching the children of Jerusalem that "they are the rightful owners of this land."
In May of that year, Israel Hayom reported that the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency had handed out around $420,000 in $500 checks to east Jerusalem merchants and residents as a gift for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The organization, which is an agency within the Turkish government, also handed out Turkish flags with the name of the organization printed on them.
