THREE EAST JERUSALEM HOMES AND ONE BUSINESS

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 004920 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR WILLIAMS/SHAMPAINE/STEINGER; NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/WATERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/16/2026 TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON KWBG KPAL IS SUBJECT: THREE EAST JERUSALEM HOMES AND ONE BUSINESS DEMOLISHED CLASSIFIED BY: CONSUL GENERAL JAKE WALLES, PER REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: AN EAST JERUSALEM BUSINESS WAS DEMOLISHED DECEMBER 5 AND THREE EAST JERUSALEM HOMES WERE DEMOLISHED OR PARTIALLY DEMOLISHED DECEMBER 6. ALL OF THE AFFECTED STRUCTURES HAD RECEIVED ORDERS OF DEMOLITION FOR LACKING BUILDING PERMITS, THOUGH AT LEAST TWO OF THE THREE HOMES WERE PARTIALLY DEMOLISHED THE OWNERS DESPITE HAVING OBTAINED STAY ORDERS FROM THE MUNICIPAL COURT. RABBI YEHIEL GRENIMANN, FIELD DIRECTOR FOR RABBIS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, TOLD POLOFF DECEMBER 7 THAT THE JERUSALEM MUNICIPALITY PLANNED TO USE THE REMAINDER OF ITS BUDGET FOR DEMOLITIONS BEFORE THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR AND THAT AS MANY AS 18 HOMES IN EAST JERUSALEM COULD BE DEMOLISHED BY DECEMBER 31. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) ON DECEMBER 5, A 150 SQUARE METER TEXTILE MANUFACTURING WORKSHOP BELONGING TO THE AMER COMMITTEE WAS DEMOLISHED IN RAS AL AMUD. ON DECEMBER 6, AN UNFINISHED HOUSE IN ISSAWIYA NEAR THE AL-ZAIM CHECKPOINT ON THE ROAD TO MA'ALE ADUMIM, WAS DEMOLISHED. ¶3. (C) TWO HOMES WERE PARTIALLY DEMOLISHED, AND IN BOTH CASES, THE OWNER HAD RECEIVED A STAY ORDER. THE THIRD FLOOR OF THE HOME OF FAIZ EL RAZEM, LOCATED ON SHALSHELET STREET IN JERUSALEM'S OLD CITY, WAS ALSO DEMOLISHED ON DECEMBER 6. THE ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER FOR THE DEMOLITION OF THAT HOUSE, WHICH HOUSES 50 PEOPLE, WAS ISSUED DECEMBER 5, AND THE OWNER OBTAINED A STAY ORDER PRIOR TO DEMOLITION. RADIR ABU GALIA ALSO OBTAINED A STAY ORDER FROM THE COURT FOR HIS HOME, LOCATED IN A-TUR, BUT GRENIMANN TOLD POLOFF THAT THE DEMOLITION CREW CONTINUED DESTROYING THE HOME DESPITE HAVING A FAXED COPY OF THE ORDER. GRENIMANN SAID THAT BY THE TIME GALIA'S ATTORNEY ARRIVED WITH THE ORIGINAL COPY OF THE STAY, ONLY TWO ROOMS WERE LEFT STANDING. HE SAID THAT THE HOME NOW HAS NO KITCHEN OR LIVING ROOM, BUT THE CITY ENGINEER DECLARED THE REMAINING STRUCTURE "LIVABLE." ¶4. (C) GRENIMANN TOLD POLOFF DECEMBER 7 THAT AS MANY AS 18 HOMES TOTAL COULD BE DEMOLISHED IN EAST JERUSALEM BEFORE DECEMBER 31 AS THE JERUSALEM MUNICIPALITY ATTEMPTS TO USE THE REMAINDER OF ITS DEMOLITION BUDGET BEFORE YEAR'S END. MEIR MARGALIT OF THE ISRAELI COMMITTEE AGAINST HOME DEMOLITIONS TOLD POLOFF DECEMBER 7 THAT THE MUNICIPALITY HAD FOUR MILLION SHEKELS TO SPEND ON DEMOLITIONS BY YEARS END, WHICH HE SAID IS ENOUGH MONEY TO DEMOLISH AN ADDITIONAL 14-18 HOMES. WALLES