The occupation authorities force a Jerusalemite citizen to demolish a part of his house on the pretext of a lack of permit

The occupation authorities forced Jerusalemite citizen Dawod Ahmed Al-Alami, to demolish, with his own hands, a part of his house in Ocbat El Sawwanah, on the pretext of the lack of permit.

Al-Alami said that the house was established in 1980 and it was composed of two bedrooms – one of bricks, the second of wood. The second room was removed in 1999 and replaced with a brick room. He pointed out that a family member and his family of five had been living in the house before it was demolished, and were forced to rent another house.

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He added that the Jerusalem Municipality imposed on him a 11000-Shekel fine on the pretext of lacking a house permit, as well as a decree ordering the demolition of part of the house’s upper floor.  He pointed out that, as a result of his failure to execute the demolition decree, he was charged with another indictment of failing to execute the demolition order; as a result, he was forced to demolish the house with his hand.

In the same context, the Jerusalem Center for Social and Economic Rights accused the Israeli judiciary of collusion with settlers regarding their assaults on the properties of Jerusalemite citizens. It also mentioned that various Israeli institutions and official circles play the same role and support extremist settlement associations through facilitating their aggressive plans to eliminate the Palestinian presence in the holy city and change the city’s demographic reality.

A report released by the center also revealed that groups of settlers implemented tasks for the benefit of the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem regarding the so-called building without permit; these groups monitored construction activity and captured photos of the construction and annexes conducted by Jerusalemites. The groups of settlers, then, provided the Municipality staff with these photos, which later results in citizens’ notification of demolition decrees. This explains the demolition of a large number of houses, in the Old City, with their owners’ own hands.

Several reports were issued by human rights organizations in this regard, the latest of which being a European Union report that accused Israel of quietly judaising Jerusalem through house demolitions and criticizing Israel’s policies that left Palestinians in Jerusalem with no choice but building without permits.