JERUSALEM, December 17, 2012 (WAFA) – Palestinian residents of Wadi Hilweh area of Silwan, a neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem, have complained that planned Israeli renovation in the area aims at serving only  a handful of Jewish settlers and not the thousands of Arab residents, Wadi Hilweh Information Center said Monday.

It said that the Israeli Ministry of Tourism and in cooperation with a number of other organizations will be soon launching a project allegedly to renovate an area of Wadi Hilweh, which connects the Bustan area of Silwan with Dung Gate that leads into the Old City of Jerusalem and the Western Wall.

The center questioned the purpose of such a project wondering that if it was a project to develop infrastructure in Silwan then the all-Israeli West Jerusalem municipality should have been the party overseeing this project and not the Ministry of Tourism.

It also said that if was a real development project, it should have covered all of Silwan, which has many rundown areas, and not just the part of the neighborhood the settlers use.

It said that it was clear the project is for strict settlement purposes and part of a process to take over the entire neighborhood.

Residents have also expressed concern that construction work would most likely affect their life and conditions and warned of possible landslides in the winter.

M.H./M.S.