PALESTINIAN HOMES ON ROAD TO MA'ALE ADUMIM

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 000449 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR WILLIAMS/SHAMPAINE/BELGRADE; NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/WATERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/06/2017 TAGS: PREL KWBG PBTS KHUM KPAL IS SUBJECT: PALESTINIAN HOMES ON ROAD TO MA'ALE ADUMIM TARGETED FOR DEMOLITION CLASSIFIED BY: CONSUL GENERAL JAKE WALLES, PER REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: TWO PALESTINIAN HOMES IN A-TUR SCHEDULED FOR DEMOLITION MARCH 6 RECEIVED A ONE-WEEK STAY ORDER. FOUR HOMES IN THE SAME AREA WERE DEMOLISHED IN FEBRUARY, AND ACTIVISTS WITH THE ISRAELI COMMITTEE AGAINST HOME DEMOLITIONS (ICAHD) SAID THAT THE HOMES ARE BEING TARGETED BECAUSE OF THEIR PROXIMITY TO THE ROAD TO MA'ALE ADUMIM. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) TWO PALESTINIAN HOMEOWNERS PAID A NON-REFUNDABLE 70,000 NIS FEE (ABOUT 16,627 USD) TO THE JERUSALEM MUNICIPALITY FOR A ONE-WEEK STAY OF DEMOLITION WHILE THEY FILE AN APPEAL. ONE OF THE BUILDINGS, A TWO-STORY STRUCTURE HOUSING 12 PEOPLE BELONGING TO MUHAMMAD ZAHTARI, WAS THE SECOND HOME OF ZAHTARI'S TO BE DESTROYED IN THE PAST YEAR. BOTH HOMES LACKED LEGAL BUILDING PERMITS. ¶3. (C) ICAHD COORDINATOR AND FORMER JERUSALEM CITY COUNCIL MEMBER MEIR MARGOLIT TOLD POLOFF MARCH 6 HE DOES NOT KNOW WHETHER THE APPEAL WOULD BE SUCCESSFUL. HE SAID THAT THE HOMES, BUILT WITHOUT PERMITS, ARE BEING TARGETED BECAUSE OF THEIR PROXIMITY TO THE ROAD TO MA'ALE ADUMIM. MARGOLIT SAID BECAUSE THE MUNICIPALITY WANTS TO KEEP THE AREA BETWEEN NEARBY PALESTINIAN VILLAGES AND THE ROAD CLEAR, HE EXPECTS THAT THESE HOMES AND OTHERS IN THE AREA WILL LIKELY EVENTUALLY BE DEMOLISHED, ADDING THAT 20 PERCENT OF THE 20 HOMES DEMOLISHED SINCE JANUARY 1 HAVE BEEN IN THE A-TUR AREA. WALLES