DayofPal– Palestinian officials have warned of a new Israeli settlement-linked project targeting the site of Jerusalem International Airport in Qalandiya.
It aimed at transforming the historic location into a colonial heritage center promoting the Israeli narrative in occupied Jerusalem.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Jerusalem Governorate said the project forms part of broader efforts to erase the Palestinian identity of the airport and repurpose the site politically and touristically within Israel’s Judaization plans in northern Jerusalem.
According to the statement, the initiative was proposed by Israeli Heritage Minister Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu and coincides with the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Entebbe military operation carried out by Israeli forces in Uganda.
The planned center would be established inside the historic terminal building of Jerusalem International Airport, originally built during the British Mandate period and later expanded under Jordanian administration before Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967.
The airport remained operational until it was shut down during the Second Intifada.
Palestinian officials said the project seeks to convert the airport into a heritage, tourism, and educational complex serving the Israeli narrative through the restoration of old airport buildings and the creation of exhibitions documenting aviation history and Israeli settlement activity in the area Israel refers to as “Atarot,” built on Palestinian land north of Jerusalem.
The proposal also includes a special memorial section dedicated to Yoni Netanyahu, the brother of Israeli war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu, who was killed during the Entebbe operation.
Israeli estimates place the planning phase cost of the project at around 3 million shekels.
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