Jerusalem: European diplomatic missions in Jerusalem and Ramallah expressed concern on Thursday over the Israeli authorities' decision to close the Burj Al-Luqluq Community Association in Jerusalem's Old City for a period of six months, noting that such actions further restrict Palestinian civic and cultural space in East Jerusalem.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the joint statement was issued by missions representing the European Union along with Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. These missions emphasized the crucial role the center has played for decades in providing vital educational, cultural, and sports programs, particularly for children and youth. They warned that the closure could undermine the indispensable work of independent Palestinian civil society organizations in East Jerusalem.
The European missions called upon Israeli authorities to protect civic space, ensure the continuation of essential social and cultural services in East Jerusalem, and permit the Burj Al-Luqluq Community Association to resume its activities without further delay.
The closure took place on Tuesday when Israeli forces shut down the association's headquarters in the Old City of Jerusalem. According to the Jerusalem Governorate, Israeli forces raided the premises, handed the administration a six-month closure order, sealed the building's doors by welding them shut, and barred access. The governorate condemned this measure as a serious escalation in targeting Palestinian institutions in Jerusalem, impacting residents' rights to dignified living, community development, and safe spaces for children and youth.
In a separate statement, the association reported that Israeli police closed its offices and facilities under an arbitrary order issued by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, citing a law prohibiting activities linked to the Palestinian Authority in Jerusalem. The association rejected the decision, asserting that it lacks legal basis and emphasized that it is a registered social organization in Jerusalem operating lawfully through its educational, cultural, and sports programs, serving thousands of children, women, and youth in the city. The association committed to challenging the order through all available legal means to reopen its facilities and resume services.
The Burj Al-Luqluq Community Association, established in 1991 on land adjacent to the historic walls of the Old City and covering about 9.5 dunams, is recognized as the second-largest open space within the Old City walls after Al-Aqsa Mosque. Over more than three decades, it has provided a range of sports, cultural, and social programs, including football, basketball, judo, and taekwondo, as well as women's empowerment initiatives, a kindergarten, a computer lab, life skills programs, and a ceramics workshop, serving between 300 and 500 beneficiaries daily.