Razing of illegal building reportedly stymied by East Jerusalem violence

The Prime Minister’s Office has reportedly ordered that Jerusalem halt the planned demolition of a large East Jerusalem building out of fears the move could spark further violence.

Security forces had been called in to protect workers as they razed the unauthorized structure in the capital’s Beit Hanina neighborhood Sunday, but the plan was called off at the last minute by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, Army Radio reported Tuesday

According to the municipality, the building was constructed without proper permits and constitutes an eyesore.

Jerusalem city officials regularly demolish illegal housing in East Jerusalem, but critics say the city is slow to issue permits for building in Arab neighborhoods, making unofficial construction widespread.

The city has also been accused of disproportionately enforcing demolition of illegal buildings in Arab areas of the city.

The Beit Hanina building has been under threat of demolition for 10 years as the matter was fought in the courts, but municipal officials had recently obtained all the permits required to bring it down.

Jerusalem has suffered an upsurge in Palestinian attacks over the pasts several weeks, leading officials to block off some East Jerusalem neighborhoods that were home to a number of the attackers.

In the neighborhood of Issawiyya, residents called a general strike to protest the recent violent clashes with security forces in the area and what they claim are Israeli attempts to change the delicate status quo on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. Israel has repeatedly denied that it has any plans to alter arrangements on the site, where Jews can visit but not pray.

Since the beginning of September near daily rioting in East Jerusalem has come alongside a spate of Palestinian terror attacks across the country and in the West Bank that have killed and injured dozens of Israelis.

MK Moti Yogev of the Jewish Home party lamented the stay in demolition which, he said, would encourage further violence against Israeli authority in East Jerusalem.

“Where there is no enforcement of the small things such as construction, trade, parking, and transportation, then nationalistic … crimes follow too,” he said.

Despite an apparent stall on demolishing illegal construction in East Jerusalem the government continues to push a more aggressive program to destroy the homes of terrorists who have carried out attacks on Israelis.

Overnight Tuesday the IDF demolished the Hebron home of a Palestinian terrorist who ran over and stabbed to death an Israeli civilian during a wave of violence nearly a year ago.

Clashes between troops and Palestinians broke out after the home demolition.

Israeli ministers recently voted to expedite home demolitions of terrorists as a punitive and deterrent measure, amid an ongoing wave of violence.