JERUSALEM, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Israel has allowed planning for an expansion of a hotel on the Mount of Olives in East Jerusalem owned by the Jordanian royal family, a newspaper report says.
The Seven Arches Hotel -- formerly known as the Intercontinental -- was transferred to Israel's Custodian of Absentee Property after the Six Days War, Haaretz said Wednesday, noting the custodian is responsible for the hotel's maintenance and financial management.
After talks between Israel and the Palestinians resumed this year focusing on final status issues, Palestinians demanded Israel refrain from taking unilateral steps that could disturb the status quo in East Jerusalem, the newspaper said.
Until now, any move affecting the site was coordinated between Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Jordanian government, the newspaper said, but Israel has avoided making changes due to the importance of maintaining good relations with Jordan.
However, documents obtained by the newspaper show in May the custodian allowed Miloslavsky Architects to start promoting the addition of 45 rooms to the north wing and 30 rooms to the south wing, as well as a conference hall and swimming pool, the paper said.
The plans also indicate that to build the hotel, the Jordanian government expropriated public land in 1962 and it was not included in the general Jerusalem outline plan. In 1994 the Absentee Property Custodian approved a detailed plan for the site but it was never implemented and became void three years later, the newspaper said.
The hotel's main building, with seven arches and two wings, was designed by American architect William Tabler. In 1964, it hosted the founding conference of the Palestinian Liberation Organization and serves as a pilgrims' hostel today, the newspaper said.
