A new project by the European Union's agency for the Palestinians might be interfering with Israeli sovereignty in east Jerusalem, Israel Hayom learned Tuesday.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
The agency announced the "housing and infrastructure support" project on Jan. 30 in an Arabic-language post on its official "European Union and the Palestinians" Facebook page, saying it was meant to "preserve Palestinian identity in east Jerusalem."
The post further said that the Palestinian Housing Council had signed an agreement with the EU to develop Palestinian housing and infrastructure in east Jerusalem in order to "strengthen the resilience of its Palestinian population."
It called on residents who need help with infrastructure work to contact the agency for aid. Palestinians with permanent residency, valid building permits, and those in the final stage of construction are eligible.
The project – worth 3 million euros ($3.4 million) – is carried out in cooperation with the Palestinian Authority's "Housing and Construction" and "Jerusalem Affairs" ministries.
However, right-wing groups have called on the Israeli government to intervene.
"In recent days, the European Union has increased its involvement in what is happening in the Israeli capital," Matan Peleg, head of the right-wing Im Tirtzu movement, and Maor Tzemach, chairman of Lach Yerushalayim ("For You, Jerusalem") advocacy group, said in a joint statement.
"This involvement is reflected in the funding of radical organizations, who led to tensions in the area and caused clashes between Jews and Arabs. We are witnesses to a serious and inconceivable escalation, and so far the political echelon has done nothing."
Only a few months ago, the European Union funded Palestinian heritage organizations in Jerusalem, and now it is at the forefront of the struggle against Jerusalem, without even hiding it, they added, calling on the government to take immediate action.
"Unless we wake up, we will also lose Jerusalem," the statement warned.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
