Israel delays Silwan park plan

Jerusalem's mayor has decided to put off his plans for redeveloping the district of Silwan that would have seen many Palestinian homes demolished in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood. Nir Barkat's decision came after Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, asked him to allow more time "for efforts to reach an understanding with the residents". "The prime minister asked me to speak and negotiate with the residents," Barkat told reporters on Tuesday. "I of course agreed, and I am delaying submitting the programme to the planning committee while we continue to talk to residents," he said. Barkat had intended to announce the building of a new park in the Silwan neighbourhood outside the Old City known as al-Bustan to its mostly Arab residents. But Netanyahu warned that, while the city should do as it sees fit, going ahead with the project now would serve "interest groups that want to cause disputes and show Israel in a distorted light at home and abroad."