Attempts by the Arab League to convince U.S. President Barack Obama to prevent American citizens from donating for reclaiming Jewish homes in eastern Jerusalem will backfire against Arabs, nationalist activist Aryeh King told Arutz Sheva. He said that if the Arab move succeeds, the Arabs “are the ones who will have to worry.”
King explained that groups, ranging from the American government’s USAID project to non-profit organizations in Saudi Arabia, are using tax-deductible donations and American tax money to try to “Islamize” eastern Jerusalem. USAID gave millions of dollars to Arabs in attempt to build illegal homes for Arabs at Shdema, next to Bethlehem and located immediately south of Jerusalem (but Israeli activists, headed by Nadia Matar, have succeeded in maintaining a Jewish presence in the area to stop the project).
“There are Saudi Arabian non-profits that work in Jerusalem to Islamize the State of Israel.” he added. “Money also arrives from Arabs for building in Yafo (Jaffa),” adjacent to Tel Aviv.
King has asked National Union Knesset Member Aryeh Eldad to introduce a bill that would prohibit Arabs “from having it both ways” concerning building. Most Arab countries as well as the Palestinian Authority prohibit Arabs from selling property to Jews. King wants a law that would prohibit the same Arabs from buying land or buildings from Jews.
"Just like you and I cannot buy a house in Syria or Egypt, it is impossible to understand why Arabs from those countries should be allowed to buy houses in Israel," King declared.
He also suggested to Jews in the Diaspora that it would be a lot more effective for them to buy homes in eastern Jerusalem for themselves and their children and grandchildren instead of contributing money for purchases by others. King also recalled the four-year-old sale by Hebrew University of 24 acres of land to Arabs to build homes in eastern Jerusalem.
The sale of the university land in eastern Jerusalem, which was given to the university as a donation from the Jewish owner, is “a disgrace to Hebrew University and to the State of Israel,” stated King, who is in the forefront of efforts to return Jews to eastern Jerusalem, where many buildings are owned by Jews who were expelled during the British Mandate and where hundreds fled marauding Arabs during the War of Independence in 1948.