Jerusalem / Maisa Abu Ghazaleh – For 21 weeks dozens of Palestinians have gathered on Fridays at the Silwan solidarity tent.

The Al Bustan area of the East Jerusalem neighborhood is under serious threat of destruction with nine more demolition orders received this week.

On Friday a number of political, religious and legal figures from the city of Jerusalem and the West Bank met with throngs of people for noon prayers.
 
Dr. Rafiq Husseini, head of the Office of the President, said of last week’s internal fighting that such incidents would not discourage people from all spectrums of life in Silwan to continue to withstand and respond in defense of their threatened homes and their lands.

Al Husseini expressed regret at the events of last week, and frowned at the same time at the escalation of the Israeli attack on Silwan and the city of Jerusalem as a whole. He called for “unity of differences in order to not give a chance for those bent on the destruction of our people and our cause.”

He told a large gathering yesterday, “We are deepening international sympathy to our rights, especially in the Holy City, the capital of our future state.”

Hatem Abdel Qader, head of the Fateh movement in Jerusalem, stressed that the unfortunate events of Silwan would not affect the citizens ability to stand firm and insist on the continuation of stability in their homes and lands.

“The discord has been cordoned off by the efforts of dedicated people, and the situation has been restored to its state of unity,” Abdel Qader said Friday at the tent.
 
He noted that the popular resistance against the destruction of the Al Bustan area is ongoing and that “attempts at sedition will go in vain.”

Abdel Qader described last week’s fighting in which some parties turned on each other in the face of Israeli-issued home demolitions as “yet another failed attempt to ignite the fire of strife between the families.”

For his part, Sheikh Ra’ed Salah, head of the Islamic Movement, said that the day’s prayers would serve as a testament to the eternal friendship and shared faith of the community. He also talked about the responsibility of half a billion Muslims to preserve and defend Jerusalem and Al Aqsa Mosque.

Sheikh Salah added, “Discard differences and grudges and hatred and instead establish tolerance and love.”

“The people of Silwan,” he said of last week, “are a model of steadfastness and must reject inducements of money and instead continue to defend your homes and lands.”