DEMOLITION OF EAST JERUSALEM HOMES DELAYED

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 004799

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR
WILLIAMS/SHAMPAINE/STEINGER; NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/WATERS;
TREASURY FOR SZUBIN/LOEFFLER/NUGENT/HIRSON

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/06/2026
TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON ETRD KWBG KPAL IS
SUBJECT: DEMOLITION OF EAST JERUSALEM HOMES DELAYED

REF: JERUSALEM 03358

CLASSIFIED BY: CONSUL GENERAL JAKE WALLES, PER REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) SUMMARY: TWO HOMES IN THE EAST JERUSALEM NEIGHBORHOOD
OF ISAWIYYAH RECEIVED A 10-DAY STAY OF DEMOLITION NOVEMBER
14, A DAY BEFORE THEIR PREVIOUS STAY WAS TO EXPIRE. RABBIS
FOR HUMAN RIGHTS HAS TOLD CONGEN THAT THE JERUSALEM
MUNICIPALITY SENT SURVEYORS ON NOVEMBER 13 TO MAP AND
PHOTOGRAPH THE HOMES, WHICH THEY SAY USUALLY OCCURS DAYS
BEFORE A DEMOLITION. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) RABBI ARIK ASHERMAN OF RABBIS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
INFORMED CONGEN POLOFF ON NOVEMBER 14 THAT THE JERUSALEM
MUNICIPALITY HAS SCHEDULED THE DEMOLITION OF THE HOME OF
AHMED DARI, IN EAST JERUSALEM'S ISAWIYYAH NEIGHBORHOOD. DARI
FIRST RECEIVED THE DEMOLITION ORDER IN DECEMBER 2005, AND
AFTER THE JERUSALEM MUNICIPALITY COURT REJECTED HIS APPEAL IN
JANUARY, THE MUNICIPALITY SET JULY 5 FOR THE DEMOLITION.
ASHERMAN SAID HOME DEMOLITIONS WERE POSTPONED THROUGH
RAMADAN, AND THAT THE POSTPONEMENT ORDER WILL EXPIRE ON
NOVEMBER 15.


3. (C) IF CARRIED OUT, THIS WILL BE THE SECOND DEMOLITION OF
A HOME BELONGING TO DARI, AN UNEMPLOYED FATHER OF FIVE WITH
CHRONIC HEALTH PROBLEMS. BOTH HOMES WERE BUILT IN WHAT THE
MUNICIPALITY HAS ZONED A "GREEN AREA," OR A SPACE WHERE
CONSTRUCTION OF ANY KIND IS FORBIDDEN. HIS FIRST HOME WAS
DEMOLISHED IN APRIL, 2003. (NOTE: MORDECHAI LEVY, JERUSALEM
MAYOR URI LUPOLIANSKIS ADVISOR TO RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES,
TOLD POLOFF IN AUGUST 2006 THAT THIS "GREEN AREA" IS BEING
KEPT CLEAR OF BUILDINGS TO SAFEGUARD THE MAIN
JERUSALEM-JERICHO ROAD AND THE NEARBY SEPARATION BARRIER. END
NOTE) IN THE PAST, ISRAELI AND INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS
GROUPS, INCLUDING HUNDREDS OF NORTH AMERICAN RABBIS, HAVE
APPEALED TO THE MUNICIPALITY TO CANCEL THE CURRENT DEMOLITION
ORDERS ON THE DARI HOME AND ALSO PROVIDED FINANCIAL SUPPORT
FOR DARI FAMILY TO REBUILD THE HOME AFTER THE 2003
DEMOLITION.


4. (C) MICHAL SHARVIT, FOREIGN RELATIONS COORDINATOR FOR
MAYOR LUPOLIANSKI, TOLD POLOFF THAT SHE WAS UNAWARE OF THE
ADDITIONAL 10-DAY STAY OF DEMOLITION, BUT THAT THE HOME WOULD
LIKELY BE DEMOLISHED SOON BECAUSE OF ITS LOCATION IN A GREEN
SPACE. SHE SAID THAT THE MAYOR'S POLICY IS TO BE MORE
LENIENT ON DEMOLITIONS IN EAST JERUSALEM, BUT THAT IN THIS
CASE "DARI KEPT BUILDING IN A PLACE HE KNEW WAS ILLEGAL," AND
DARI COULD REAPPLY FOR A PERMIT IF AND WHEN ZONING CHANGES.

WALLES