BULLDOZERS DEMOLISH an illegal Palestinian house
yesterday in the West Bank village of Kalandiya between Ramallah and
Jerusalem..
(photo credit:REUTERS/MOHAMAD TOROKMAN)
Four illegally constructed Arab homes were razed on Tuesday by the IDF
in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Isawiya, and 11 in the nearby
village of Kalandiya in Area C of the West Bank.
The head of the
Kalandiya Village Council, Muhammad al-Jouri, told Palestinian media
that clashes erupted with soldiers, adding that stun grenades and tear
gas canisters were utilized to disperse the rioting.The four home demolitions in Isawiya were carried out without incident.
It remains unclear whom the Jerusalem homes belonged to, or how many
people were displaced.
The demolitions come amid heightened tensions in the
capital, following more than 10 months of sporadic terrorist attacks
that some have deemed a third intifada.
Since the beginning of
2016, the Jerusalem Municipality claims that 32 illegally built
structures in east Jerusalem have been demolished, while 41 have been
razed in the western portion of the capital.
Meanwhile, the
Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem contends that 72 Arab homes were
demolished in east Jerusalem, while 113 nonresidential structures were
torn down by the government.
The vast majority of the demolitions have been carried out
because they were built without building permits issued by the
municipality, which Arab residents claim are nearly impossible to
procure.
Peace Now spokesman Eyal Raz said the demolitions will only inflame an already precarious situation.
“We’re
talking about neighborhoods already suffering from lack of basic
services from the government and municipality, and to go to those areas
and focus on home demolitions is [not wise policy],” Raz said by phone
on Tuesday.
“We know that over the last 49 years, the
government has provided 65,000 plans for homes for Jewish Israelis in
east Jerusalem, and at the same about 700 units have been built for
Palestinians. Of course, this is unjust.”
Emphasizing that most
Arab neighborhoods already have compromised infrastructure, Raz said
that demolishing homes “is the last thing the government should do at
the moment.”
However, according to the Jerusalem Municipality,
there have been more demolitions in the western than the eastern
portion of the capital over the past three years, with the overall
citywide percentage of demolitions decreasing in east Jerusalem since
last year.
“Contrary to the claims raised, demolitions in the
eastern part of the city as a percentage of citywide zoning enforcement
have decreased compared to previous years,” the municipality said.
Moreover,
on Tuesday the municipality denied Palestinian and leftwing claims
that any preference is shown toward Jewish residents in obtaining
building permits.
“The municipality does not discriminate based on race, religion, or gender,” it said in a statement.
“The only criteria by which building plans are approved are proof-of-ownership and compliance with the city’s master plan.”
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