JERUSALEM, Friday, March 04, 2022 (WAFA) – A Palestinian citizen from the occupied Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Hanina embarked today on demolishing their own home after he was pressed into doing so by Israeli municipality of West Jerusalem to avoid paying exorbitant costs if the municipality carries out the demolition on its own.

Ra’ef Salaymeh said he was forced to start demolishing his own home after the Israeli municipality pressed him to do so under the pretext it was built without a permit. He added that he had no choice but to demolish the home to avoid paying some $35,000 in demolition costs to the Israeli municipality.

Salaymeh said the home demolished was the only shelter for his 4-member household.

Palestinians in Jerusalem say they are forced to build without a permit because getting a building permit is impossible as the right-wing all-Israeli city council attempts to keep the city’s Palestinian population at a bare minimum while multiplying its Jewish residents by approving the construction of thousands of new housing units in Jewish settlements while denying Palestinians similar rights.

Almost 75 percent of applications for a permit by the Palestinian citizens of Jerusalem are rejected by the municipality, according to rights groups.  

M.N