EFFORTS TO PREVENT DEMOLITION OF DARI HOME IN EAST

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 004933 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: EFFORTS TO PREVENT DEMOLITION OF DARI HOME IN EAST JERUSALEM FAIL REF: A. JERUSALEM 4799 ¶B. JERUSALEM 3358 Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, per reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: Ahmed Dari's home in the Issawiyah neighborhood of East Jerusalem was demolished December 11 after efforts by the Israeli NGOs Rabbis for Human Rights and the Israeli Committee Against Home Demolitions to stop the demolition failed. Rabbis for Human Rights told ConGen PolOff on December 11 that they planned to go forward with an appeal challenging the entire demolition policy. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Rabbi Arik Asherman of Rabbis for Human Rights informed ConGen poloff on December 11 that the home of Ahmed Dari in East Jerusalem's Issawiyah neighborhood had been demolished that morning. After the Court decided November 29 to allow it to proceed, Dari obtained an additional 10-day stay to allow additional time but that stay expired December ¶10. ¶3. (C) Michal Sharvit, Foreign Relations Coordinator for Mayor Uri Lupolianski, told poloff that Dari knew he was building illegally when he constructed the home. (Note: Sharvit told poloff November 13 that the Mayor's policy is to be more lenient on demolitions in East Jerusalem. However, City Councilman Sa'ar Netanel told poloff November 15 that in 2004, Mayor Lupolianski had approved 31 of the 45 demolition orders in West Jerusalem and 157 of the 160 demolition orders in East Jerusalem. End Note). ¶4. (C) This is the second home belonging to Dari that has been demolished; the first was in 2003. In the past, Israeli and international human rights groups, including hundreds of North American rabbis, appealed to the Municipality not to demolish Dari's home and provided Dari financial support. WALLES