Two Stop Work Orders Against Houses in Al Ma’asara Village- Bethlehem Governorate

Violation: The targeting of two houses with Stop Work Orders

Location: The village of Al Ma’asara in Bethlehem Governorate.

Date: January 26, 2012

Victims: Mr. Khaled Ibraheem Younis Zawahra and Mr. Suleiman Mohammad Hasan Zawahra.

 

The village of Al Ma’asara is located 6.2 kilometers south west of the city of Bethlehem. It is bordered from the east by the village of Khallet Al Haddad, from the north by the village of Wad Rahhal, from the west the village of Jourat Al Shama’a and from the south the village of Marah Mi’alla. The village is 891 meters above sea level. It is called as such relative to the Roman oil press (Ma’asara in Arabic) which is currently present in the village. Two main clans inhabit the village; al Zawahra and Al Ta’amreh. According to the 2007 population census, the population of the village is 803.

 

The House of Mr. Khaled Ibraheem Younis Zawahra: On Jan. 26, 2012, Israeli occupation forces delivered a Stop Work Order against the house of Mr. Khaled under the pretext that it was built “without a permit.” The targeted structure is a 50-m² cement room built on a 1.4 dunums. The work is still ongoing. So far, the structure has cost Mr. Khaled NIS 28,000. The Order has caused the family unwarranted fear and agony as they do not know what the future holds for them. No legal support was provided as of yet.

 

The House of Suleiman Mohammad Hussein Zawahra: On Jan. 26, 2012, Israeli occupation forces delivered a Stop Work Order against Suleiman’s one-story house. The area of the targeted house is 180 m² and it was built on one dunum with a total cost of NIS 100,000. Currently, Mr. Suleiman’s family is living in constant fear and anxiety due to the shock caused by the Order.

 

The following table lists all the relevant information vis-à-vis the Stop Work Orders:

 

Name	No. of Family Members	No. of children
Khaled Ibraheem Younis Zawahra	17	6
Suleiman Mohammad Hussien Zawahra	1	0

 

The most immediate threat that threatens the villages of west Bethlehem is the presence of the Israeli racist Isolation Wall. It is planned to isolate more than 23500 kilometers of the lands of al Ma’asara which would severely negatively affect the livelihood of the residents of the village. The presence of the Wall would also severely hamper the ability of the residents of the village to reach the city of Bethlehem where they receive their most basic services. In addition, the Wall will cause extremely negative psychological effects on the children of the village. As such, the residents of the village organize on weekly basis peaceful demonstration against the Racist Wall in cooperation with international volunteers as well as with Israeli peace movements.