IMPENDING HOME DEMOLITION DRAWS APPEALS FROM

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 003358

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE, NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/WATERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/02/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM IS
SUBJECT: IMPENDING HOME DEMOLITION DRAWS APPEALS FROM
ACTIVISTS, BUT NO SYMPATHY FROM MUNICIPALITY


Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, per reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Israeli and international human rights
activists have appealed to the Jerusalem municipality to
prevent the scheduled demolition of an East Jerusalem home.
The municipality has so far rejected the appeals to cancel
the demolition order, arguing that the house was built
illegally on restricted "green space." Activists, however,
contend that the demolition is part of a larger effort by the
GOI to alter the demographic makeup of Jerusalem. END
SUMMARY.

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RABBIS PROTEST IMPENDING HOME DEMOLITION
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2. (C) Rabbi Arik Ascherman of Rabbis for Human Rights
informed ConGen Poloff on July 26 that the Municipality of
Jerusalem plans to demolish the home of Ahmed Dari, located
in the Isawiyya section of East Jerusalem, claiming the
structure was built outside the building zone for Isawiyya.
Dari, an unemployed father of five children who suffers from
chronic back problems, received a demolition order in
December 2005. In January, Dari appealed the demolition
order to the Municipal Affairs Court, but the court rejected
his appeal and the Municipality set a date of July 5 for the
demolition, which has yet to be carried out.


3. (C) Israeli and international human rights groups,
including hundreds of North American rabbis, have appealed to
Jerusalem Mayor Lupolianski to cancel the demolition order.
The groups recently provided financial assistance to rebuild
the Dari home, which had been demolished by the Municipality
in April 2003. Dari's supporters allege that discrimination
has prevented Palestinians in East Jerusalem from receiving
building permits, and that a disproportionate number of home
demolitions have occurred in predominantly Arab East
Jerusalem. Dari family attorney
Hussein Ghanaym told ConGen Poloff July 27 that the
demolition orders "are not a legal, but a political act aimed
at realizing Israeli PM Olmert's demographic plan to maintain
a Jewish majority in Jerusalem."

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JERUSALEM MUNICIPALITY REJECTS APPEALS
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4. (C) The municipality has refused to reconsider the
demolition order, stating in a July 2 letter that Mr. Dari
"blatantly ignored orders and continued to build illegally,
even though he had been warned that it was absolutely
forbidden to build in the area." In an August 1 meeting with
ConGen Poloff, Mordechai Levy, Mayor Lupolianski's advisor to
Jerusalem's religious communities, remarked that Mr. Dari's
case was "a lost cause" and that the demolition will take
place as scheduled. Levy said that that the main reason for
the demolition order was that Mr. Dari built in an area
classified as "green space," where construction of any kind
is forbidden. According to Levy, the land needs to be kept
clear of buildings in order to safeguard the main
Jerusalem-Jericho road and the nearby separation barrier.

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RABBIS SEEK USG INTERVENTION
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5. (C) ConGen Poloff received several letters last month
from Rabbis for Human Rights and rabbis in the U.S.
requesting that the USG intervene to prevent the home
demolition. Ghanaym told ConGen Poloff that the Municipality
will not consider a compromise solution, opining that
preventing the demolition will require USG intervention.

WALLES