Senior US official visits site of razed East Jerusalem Palestinian’s home

A senior US official says he made a solidarity visit to an East Jerusalem Palestinian activist’s home, which was demolished by Israel last month.

George Noll, who serves as the US Office of Palestinian Affairs’ chief of mission, met Fahkri Abu Ziab “amid the rubble of his East Jerusalem home, which was in his family for generations,” his office tweets.

“We again condemn Israel’s demolition of this home which has spread fear in an entire community,” the US Office of Palestinian Affairs adds.

This is the second time the US has condemned the February 14 demolition in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan.

Israel said Abu Ziab did not have the necessary permits, even though such building approvals for Palestinians in East Jerusalem and the West Bank are overwhelmingly rare.

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Israeli and Palestinian Affairs Andrew Miller visited Abu Ziab’s home ahead of its demolition last month in an apparent show of support.

“These acts obstruct efforts to advance a durable and lasting peace and security that would benefit not just Palestinians but Israelis,” US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said last month. “They damage Israel’s standing in the world, and they make it ultimately more difficult for us to accomplish all the things we’re trying to accomplish that would ultimately be in the interest of the Israeli people, and so we condemn them and will continue to urge that they not continue.”