Group Says Israel Plan to Cement Hold on Jerusalem

A Palestinian Christian boy holds a candle during Sunday mass at the Church of the Nativity,...

A Palestinian Christian boy holds a candle during Sunday mass at the Church of the Nativity, traditionally believed to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Sunday, May 10, 2009. Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday urged Middle East Christians to persevere in their faith despite hardships threatening the existence of their ancient communities. Pope Benedict XVI is on a week long tour in the Middle East that includes Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian territories. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)

(AP)

An Israeli government plan to develop parks, hiking trails and tourist sites in east Jerusalem will permanently change the landscape of the contested city and cement Israel's hold there, an Israeli group charged in a report released Sunday ahead of the pope's visit to the city.

The government has undertaken an ambitious eight-year plan that will dramatically alter the "holy basin" — the sensitive area in and around the Old City that is home to sites holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims, according to the group, Ir Amim, which works for coexistence in Jerusalem.

The government has largely kept the plan secret, not soliciting input from the city's Christians and Muslims or opening it to objections from the public, the group charges.

"It's being done in a way that is opaque, with no public knowledge, without coordination with the churches or with the Muslim Waqf, in the precise opposite of transparent terms," Daniel Seidemann, the Israeli attorney who founded Ir Amim, said Sunday. The Waqf is the custodian of Islamic holy sites in the city.

The park plan could destabilize Jerusalem and is "an act of colossal irresponsibility," Seidemann said.

The Israeli government says the new development will benefit all of Jerusalem's residents. An official in the prime minister's office noted that under Israeli control, people of all faiths have had access to their holy sites in the city.

"The government will continue to develop Jerusalem, development that will benefit all of Jerusalem's diverse population and respect the different faiths and communities that together make Jerusalem such a special city," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity pending a formal statement from the government.

Stephan Miller, a spokesman for the Jerusalem municipality, said the city's plans are "clear and transparent" and were part of efforts toward attracting tourists and "opening up Jerusalem for the world to enjoy."

Israel captured east Jerusalem, including the Old City, in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it, a move not recognized by the international community. Palestinians hope to make east Jerusalem the capital of their future state, and the conflicting claims to the city constitute perhaps the most intractable facet of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.