JERUSALEM MUNICIPALITY DEMOLISHES THREE HOMES

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 002476 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE, NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/WATERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/04/2017 TAGS: PGOV KWBG PBTS IS PHUM SUBJECT: JERUSALEM MUNICIPALITY DEMOLISHES THREE HOMES Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (SBU) According to Jerusalem Municipality advisor Elad HaLevy and members of the Israeli Committee Against Home Demolition (ICAHD),the Municipality demolished a multi-story house under construction in Bayt Hanina (belonging to the Hajluni family) and a house foundation in Abu Tor for lack of permits on November 29. On December 3, the Municipality demolished two homes in Sur Bahir belonging to Ali Abu Sarhan and Ahmad Attun and a house foundation under construction. ICAHD members said this was the second time Sarhan's home has been demolished, as ICAHD volunteers had paid to rebuild it after the first demolition. (Note: PolOffs visited the Bayt Hanina and Sur Bahir demolition sites and verified that these were new demolitions. End note). ¶2. (C) HaLevy called the demolitions "clear cut cases of law enforcement" for homes built without required permits. ICAHD activists suggested the demolitions are intended to placate right-wing elements on the city council and discourage building in East Jerusalem. President Abbas' Advisor for Jerusalem Affairs, Adnan Hussayni, told PolOff on December 3 that the demolitions are an attempt to exercise demographic control in East Jerusalem. WALLES