JERUSALEM, November 8, 2024 (WAFA) - The Jerusalem Governorate announced that the residents of the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan have affirmed their refusal to comply with the Israeli policy of self-demolition. This policy forces Palestinians to tear down their own homes and structures, often under the threat of heavy fines.
The residents, supported by local land defense committees, have declared that they will not carry out these demolitions themselves, regardless of the financial consequences, and instead will allow Israeli authorities to use their own machinery to carry out the demolitions.
Palestinian researcher specializing in Jerusalem affairs, Fakhri Abu Diab, explained that Israeli authorities are coercing Palestinians in Jerusalem into either demolishing their own homes and structures or facing steep fines if Israeli machinery is used.
This strategy, according to Abu Diab, is designed to minimize international condemnation, as forced demolitions and the subsequent displacement of residents are in violation of international law and amount to war crimes.
He stressed: "We should not be tools in the hands of the occupation's municipality, nor should we make it easier for them or reduce the cost of demolitions."
He stressed that the world needs to witness the brutality of the occupation and its forces when they break into homes and demolish them using bulldozers. In contrast, self-demolition happens without their presence, which helps ease the pressure on them, he stressed.
Abu Diab clarified that by pushing for the self-demolition policy, the Israeli municipality seeks to depict Palestinians in Jerusalem who tear down their own homes as though they are admitting to a legal violation. This strategy allows the occupation to avoid accountability for their actions, he added.
Abu Diab pointed out that the Israeli municipality has limited budgets and resources, which prevent it from demolishing all the threatened structures at once.
He explained that when Palestinians in Jerusalem carry out self-demolition, they inadvertently assist the municipality in carrying out its plans, which are designed to erode the Palestinian presence in occupied Jerusalem.
He said the Israeli occupation authorities consider illegal around 22,000 homes and structures in the eastern part of Jerusalem, 7,000 of which are located in the town of Silwan, based on the Israeli municipality's classification and the so-called Local Planning and Building Committee.
He explained that if demolition orders were issued for all these structures and the owners were forced to demolish them themselves, this would significantly help the Israeli municipality, which would otherwise require many years to demolish them; if it were even capable of doing so.
He expressed hope that Jerusalem’s residents would stand firm in their decision to refrain from self-demolition.
He further appealed to both local and international organizations, as well as funding bodies, to assist by covering the fines imposed on Jerusalemites for refusing to demolish their homes. This support would help strengthen their ability to remain steadfast in the face of ongoing pressures in the city, he said.
He stressed: “When Jerusalemites find support, self-demolition will decrease significantly."
T.R.
