Press Release

26 October 1999

A Palestinian house was demolished yesterday in Beit Hanina in Jerusalem, 8 years after it was built without a permit. Palestinians in Jerusalem have no option to build legally since, in addition to many other reasons and obstacles, the issuing of building permits requires a municipal zoning plan, and for Palestinians no such plan exists. The Israeli Interior Ministry ordered yesterday 25th October, 1999, the demolition of a house inhabited by three families, the family of Kamel Abdel-Kader, the family of Odeh Abdel-Karim Khader, and the family of Khaled Mahmoud Imtair, in Beit-Hanina in continuation of the Israeli policy of quite deportation. This house was 240 m2 with a net value of approximately 200,000 USD. It was demolished at 8:30 a.m., the inhabitants were not given enough time to evacuate their homes, including all their personal effects.

The citizens of Beit Hanina signed an agreement with the Jerusalem Municipality this year that promised to issue a long awaited zoning plan in the near future. Furthermore, this agreement stipulated that until the zoning plan is issued, the municipality would refrain from demolishing existing houses and the Palestinians would undertake not to build any more houses without the required permits, waiting for the moment when they could get them. This agreement was an initiative of Israeli peace activists as a solution for the Jerusalemites in the village of Beit Hanina, as a precedent for other places in Jerusalem. This agreement was criticized by Palestinians and human rights organizations as a maneuver and illegal step to stop building more houses for Palestinians in the community, who rejected the initiative, as it would not stop housing demolitions. Yesterday's case is proof of the intentions of the Israeli government. The Israeli Cabinet formed a ministerial committee last week to look into housing demolitions in Israel and Occupied East Jerusalem and declared that there would be no more housing demolitions for existing houses without permits.

The owners of the house were forced to pay 7000 NIS as a fine in 1992 for building without a permit, in addition to 7000 NIS the lawyer at that time, and every year since 1992 arnona tax of 8000 NIS per year.

Al-Haq demands the following:

• Israel abide by the 1949 IV Geneva Convention in the treatment of Palestinians in Occupied East Jerusalem;
• Israel stop the policy of demolishing houses in Occupied East Jerusalem;
• Israel compensate the families for all damages resulting from the demolition, as well as refund the owners of the house the money they have paid in fine, lawyers fees, and arnona tax; and
• Calls upon the international community to take its responsibility to protect Palestinian people as required in international law and put pressure on Israel to stop its policy of ethnic cleansing and collective punishment.