Sir, - The media, and especially radio and television, persist in referring to the Har Homa building project as being for Jews in "Arab East Jerusalem". In fact, the planned development is in an unpopulated area just inside the southern edge of Jerusalem, within the municipal boundaries of the city. Its purpose is to provide 20,000 housing units for Jews and 8,500 for Arabs, this being the ratio of Jews to Arabs in the city.
Contrary to the attempts to present the project as a violation of the agreements between Israel and the Palestinians, such building is permitted. The 1993 Declaration of Principles and the 1995 Interim Agreement contain no commitment to refrain from such construction. Indeed, under the agreement, both Palestinians and Israelis are permitted to build in the areas under their jurisdiction. Israel and the Palestinians agreed that the Palestinian authorities have no powers or responsibility in Jerusalem, which the parties recognised as a separate issue, to be part of the permanent status negotiations, yet to come. - Yours, etc.,
Knocksinna Crescent,
Dublin 18.