EU wants to strengthen PA in E. Jerusalem

JERUSALEM, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- European Union consuls in East Jerusalem and Ramallah recommend strengthening the Palestinian Authority's status in East Jerusalem, a report says.

Details of the classified document reported in Haaretz Wednesday said the consuls advised taking various measures against Israel, including sanctions against people and groups involved in settlement activities in and around the capital.

The sensitive annual report submitted to EU headquarters in Brussels last month has never been published by the EU for fear it would exacerbate the European public's already negative view of Israel, the newspaper said.

Unnamed senior Foreign Ministry officials said the document helped Sweden initiate a plan to have the EU recognize East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state, the paper said.

The report accused the Israeli government and the city of Jerusalem of deliberately attempting to alter the city's demographic balance and sever East Jerusalem from the West Bank, the paper said.

It also took issue with the various organizations such as Elad and Ateret Cohanim who assist housing purchases in Arab neighborhoods.

The document accused the city of deliberately discriminating against the Arab population by issuing few building permits and designating a small fraction of the city budget for Arab neighborhoods, the paper said.

The report criticized Israel's closure of Palestinian Authority institutions in the city and said it paved the way for Islamic religious organizations to expand their influence, the paper said.