Israel’s Attorney General adopts recommendations on illegal building

Israeli Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein yesterday adopted the recommendations of the committee set up to deal with illegal construction in the Arab community.

The committee was set up by Weinstein in October 2015, in coordination with the then Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan to deal with “unauthorised building on public and private land” in the Arab community in general.

In a report, the committee described its findings as troubling saying: “Unauthorised construction on public land is increasing, at a time when the Israeli authorities do not apply demolition orders.”

It recommended local authorities follow up on illegal construction by means of a “standing enforcement committee”. The committee will consist of police and other enforcement officials as well as representatives of the interior ministry and the Israel Land Authority.

The attorney general’s acceptance of the committee’s recommendations has sparked criticism from the Joint Arab List.

MK Yousef Jabareen branded the enforcement “racist” and said: “Instead of working to regulate illegal construction and invest efforts in planning for this purpose, the attorney general lays the groundwork for conflict with the Arab community, thus he serves the unacceptable racist political agenda of the prime minister and his ministers on the extreme right.”