The Ateret Cohanim Organization , which works to reclaim Jewish property lost to Arab invasion, has succeeded in purchasing an additional 15 housing units in the Shiloah Village neighborhood of eastern Jerusalem. 15 Jewish families moved into the newly-rebuilt complex today (Thur, April 8). Israeli flags could be seen hanging from the rooftops of the buildings. The 15 families joined 22 others already living in the complex as well as approximately 100 at the Ma'aleh Hazeitim neighborhood nearby. Ateret Cohanim's activities in the area began in 1996 with the establishment of Ma'aleh Hazeitim and continued in 2004 when the association began repurchasing stolen Jewish property at the Yemenite village, first settled by Yemenite Jews making their way to Israel at towards the end of the 19th century. The complexes form a continuum of Jewish presence in eastern Jerusalem, connecting Ma'aleh Hazeitim, the Yemenite Village, and City of David. A senior spokesman for the Jewish community of eastern Jerusalem told Arutz Sheva : "The construction and reclamation of the city of Jerusalem on the day the Jewish people commemorate the loss of six million who perished in the Holocaust is the only answer to those seeking to destroy us the State of Israel and the Jewish people in Israel and around the world." "We are committed to conveying this message not only through words but through our actions as well, and the act of reclaiming parts of the eternal capital of the Jewish people is the clearest and most appropriate message [to those seeking our end]," added the official. The Secretary General of the Ariel youth movement, Dvir Amior, praised the move and said: "The Ariel youth movement welcomes the growth of the Jewish community in Jerusalem as we mark Holocaust Remembrance Day." "It is a symbol of the Jewish people's resilience as we reclaim parts of our national homeland," he added.
