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