Israeli Demolitions of Palestinian East Jerusalem Homes Spike Amid War; Negev Bulldozing Renewed

During previous Gaza wars, authorities refrained from demolitions in East Jerusalem to ease tensions. However, the pace increased since October, with a 60% surge in demolished homes reported in 2023. Wednesday also marked the first demolitions in unrecognized Bedouin villages since the war began

By Nir Hasson and Eden Solomon, HAARETZ    Jan 10, 2024 8:24 pm IST


A Palestinian man stands near the rubble of a demolished house in East Jerusalem on December 13, 2023.Credit: Ammar Awas/Reuters

The Jerusalem Municipality has expedited the pace of house demolitions in East Jerusalem since the war began, with 140 homes demolished in 2023, marking a 60% increase from the preceding year.

Alongside these, 84 other structures, including shops and warehouses, were also demolished. This current approach diverges from past Gaza conflict periods, where authorities refrained from demolishing homes in East Jerusalem to prevent escalating security tensions in the city.

At the same time, on Wednesday morning, the first demolitions in unrecognized Bedouin villages in the Negev occurred since October 7.

Despite this, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued instructions on Tuesday to cease demolitions of homes owned by Israeli reserve soldiers in illegal West Bank outposts.

Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir announced a stepped-up policy of home demolitions in the city at the start of 2023. Municipal officials confirmed that Ben-Gvir had been pressuring the city to increase the number of demolitions, but over most of last year, the pace of demolitions stayed substantially the same as prior years.

During the first nine months of 2023, there was an average of 10 demolitions of housing units per month, and it doesn’t appear that Ben-Gvir’s announced policy change had any effect on the situation on the ground. However, after October 7, the average monthly rate of demolitions increased to 17.

In East Jerusalem, a backlog of thousands of pending demolition orders targeting buildings constructed without permits. Palestinian and human rights organizations argue that Israel’s stringent permit regulations force Palestinian residents into unauthorized construction, as obtaining permits is nearly unattainable in East Jerusalem.
The demolitions often occur with significant police presence, leading to recent clashes between Palestinians and law enforcement at demolition sites. Last week, 11 individuals were arrested during the demolition of a residence in Jabal Mukkaber, an East Jerusalem Palestinian neighborhood.
Israeli military excavators demolish the house of the Palestinian Shuqairat family, which was reportedly built without a construction permit, in the Jabal Mukaber neighborhood of Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem on January 3, 2024.Credit: AHMAD GHARABLI – AFP

“The aim of the home demolitions is to foil Palestinian attempts at planning in Jerusalem in addition to an enforcement policy that has become more aggressive from year to year,” said Aviv Tatarsky, a researcher for the Ir Amim nonprofit. The group describes itself as an organization that “focuses on Jerusalem within the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”

“In the past, the state refrained from destroying homes during wartime to prevent an unnecessary escalation at a time in which there was a security crisis,” said Tatarsky. “By contrast, in the current war, the pace of the demolitions has actually increased. That is an additional expression of the fact that the Netanyahu-Ben-Gvir government is seeking to ignite [the situation] on the ground,” he alleged.

In response, the Jerusalem Municipality stated, “The municipality consistently enforces court orders against illegal construction throughout the entire city.”

In the Negev, demolitions of unauthorized buildings in unrecognized Bedouin villages were halted since the war began. However, demolitions have resumed on Wednesday. Bulldozers arrived in the unrecognized village of Al-Za’arura near the Israeli city of Arad, demolishing a house and a warehouse and uprooting around 60 olive trees. In the recognized village of Bir Hadaj in northern Negev, bulldozers demolished two homes, one belonging to an 80-year-old resident, her sole livelihood.

“It’s unthinkable that amidst a war, these areas, already vulnerable, are further the authorities are occupied with demolitions,” stated Maigal Al-Hawashle, a territorial coordinator for the unrecognized villages council.

Salama Adisaan, a social activist and a reserve major from Bir Hadaj, told Haaretz that the excessive force used to demolish the homes far exceeded what was necessary.

“They came to provoke; it’s unbelievable. Tractors, two bulldozers, police, security, and more than ten jeeps arrived,” he said. “We’re demanding a freeze on demolitions until the situation stabilizes. There’s no room for demolitions during wartime.”

January 12, 2024 | 9 Comments »

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9 Comments / 9 Comments

  1. I agree. How might we best respond to the disparaging remarks raised against what we know to be right and true if we limit our interests to include only opinions with which we agree. Indeed, the marketplace of ideas requires a constant diligence outside our own echo chamber of comfort, and Haaretz is easily one of the most important sources with which to realize the depth of depravity to which our enemies bend on a daily basis. And as Ted explains, the obsessive nature with which Haaretz reports on certain topics such as Ben Gvir provides an excellent source of details not easily found in other news sites. In short, I would argue that it is better to remain informed than to be solely reassured of what I know to be right, and I for one, am comfortable enough with what I know to be right to withstand parsing out the intellectual dishonesty which is stitched so well aside relevant details as is routine in Haaretz’ articles. Just my own reflections of course.

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  2. It is so important that this approach is used. There are very many reasons but here suffice it to say that I see my enemies (which many mistakenly think of and refer to as the left but that is the sad reality they are not that) are exclusively quoting from Haaretz.

    Adam insults my intelligence. I can read and NEED this information to be informed. I need editors to do more of this. I would add this is totally the scientific method.

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  3. Hardly a day goes by that Haaretz has an article smearing Ben Gvir and/or Smotrich. The smear aside, at least I get to read what they are doing or saying. Usually Haaretz is the only place reporting on them.

    In addition, I think it important to read what Haaretz is writing because the Europeans do so every day..

    I don’t see a problem is paying attention to Haaretz. Its part of keeping informed.

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  4. @Ted, Why republish this Haaretz rubbish? At the very least, you should include an introduction in which youidentify the falsehoods in the article. I have never understood why you often publish articles from this antisemitic rag sheet published and written by self-hating Jews.

  6. The left & far left continue to undermine the country. Refreshing after the failure of the IL intel and IDF!
    But who cares! The IL SC does care to preserve its monopoly. A modern Sanhedrin!

  7. The usual lies and garbage from Haaretz Why publish this sh_t? What’s next? The latest from Iran’s Press TV? Or New Israel Fund? Or maybe Stormfront?

  8. Ha’aretz and The Times of Israel are mouthpieces for Israel’s Loony Left. The are useful idiots for all of Israel’s enemies. They are also ignorant fools and quite stupid.

  9. They don’t just demolish homes because just because they are Arab owned. Israel doesn’t do that. They are demolishing them because they were constructed illegally as any other country in the world would do in their own sovereign territory.

    And, that’s the crux of the issue. Haaretz doesn’t recognize Israeli sovereignty in East Jerusalem.

    I’m sure Haaretz has no problem with there being a death penalty for anyone who sells land to Jews in Arab controlled territory.