By Hani Hazaimeh

AMMAN - Israel has expropriated some 35 per cent of East Jerusalem's territory, over 24,000 dunums of land, from its Palestinian owners despite the fact that in 20 years the majority of Jerusalem's population will be Palestinians, a study said.

According to the study, compiled by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Palestinians currently make up 35 per cent of the city's population compared with 25.5 per cent in 1967, adding that "in the absence of a political agreement on the borders of the city and the status of its Palestinian residents, Jerusalem is approaching a bi-national urban reality".

The study by the Germany-based organisation examined the building policies in Jerusalem intended to change the facts on the ground and ensure a solid Jewish majority in the city, said a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times yesterday.

"The study highlights that since 1967, Israeli governments developed building and planning policies that were designed primarily according to the current struggle occurring in Jerusalem. The central tool used by the Israeli governments was the expropriation of land from private hands," the press release said, adding: "Since 1967, Israel has expropriated over 24,000 dunums, mostly from their Palestinian owners."

The report, which was prepared in partnership with the Macro Centre for Political Economics, indicated that about 50,000 housing units were built exclusively for the Jewish Israeli population within the framework of new neighbourhoods/settlements, while for the Palestinian population, Israel has built fewer than 600 housing units since 1967 in the scope of government assistance, the most recent of which was built over 30 years ago.