Israel’s house demolition campaign is continued in Jerusalem

Photo 1: the house of Mr. Zeid Zeidan Jaber in Al Zayyem after demolition

The Municipality of Jerusalem demolished 3 houses in April 2006 in the villages of Al Issawiya and Al Zayyem under the pretext that they were built without the proper permits. Moreover, occupation authorities demolished and destroyed a number of farms and other structures in Al Zayyem. The Land Research Center (LRC) as documented the following violations in occupied Jerusalem during the month of April 2006:

(Map1: location of Al Issawiya and Al Zayyem)

Case 1 :-

The bulldozers of the municipality of occupied Jerusalem demolished on the morning of April 12th, 2006 the house of Mrs. Wijdan Mohammad Obaid which was located in Al Misha neighborhood of Al Issawiya village. The area of the house was 80 m2 and it was demolished after she resided in it for only 67 days. The demolition took place despite the fact that all necessary documents for issuing a permit were submitted to the relevant Israeli authorities. Mrs. Obaid was interviewed by LRCâ??s field worker and she gave the following testimony:

'The plan of the house has been deposited at the Municipality. It is the second time that a house of ours was demolished by the Municipality as it destroyed a house of ours on January 14th, 2002. The Municipality has killed our dream of residing in a house of our own on our land'.

Photo 2: the house of Mrs. Wijdan Mohammad Obaid which was demolished in Al Issawiya

Case 2

Israeli occupation bulldozers demolished the house of Mr. Zeid Zeidan Jaber (area = 120 m2) located on Dirgham Street in the village of Al Zayyem at 11:00 AM on April 26th, 2006. The house was demolished atop all of its furniture along with a nearby storage room which contained work equipment and other material. Israeli soldiers attacked members of the family as they were protesting and trying to prevent the demolition. The house used to shelter 7 individuals, 5 of whom are children. Now, they are all homeless.  

It is worth noting here that Israeli Authorities have isolated the village of Al Zeayyem (which used to be the natural extension of the village of Al Tur) since the beginning of 2006 through the establishment of the Segregation Wall which transformed the village into a closed neighborhood whose residents are jobless. In addition to the inability of the workers to reach their work places, students (which constitute 15% of the population of the village) are now unable to reach their schools and universities. The population of Al Zeayyem has found themselves in a big prison leading to their mass departure as reflected by their current numbers; in December 2005, the population of the village was 4,500. Nowadays, the number has decreased to 2,500.

Case 3: Economic War

In addition, the Israeli occupation forces carried a massive campaign to demolish and destroy a number of economic establishments in the village of Al Zeayyem. Most of the targeted establishments were the main and only source of income of their owners. The demolition came at a time when economic conditions in the West Bank and in East Jerusalem are suffering from a depression due to the Israeli policies in the region.

• One of the demolished entities was a farm that belonged to Mr. Waâ??el Darwish Dana as a large group of Israeli soldiers encircled his horse, sheep and chicken farm at 8:00 AM on April 26th, 2006. This farm was the main source of income for 10 people including 8 children. In an interview with LRCâ??s field worker, Mr. Dana said:

'The neighbors told me by phone that the Israeli Army was destroying my farm. I rushed in but the soldiers at Al Zayyem checkpoint stopped me and delayed my entrance despite the fact that I told them that I was the owner of the targeted farm. The farm used to house 10 horses in a stable in addition to 100 sheep and a large number of chickens. Moreover, the Israeli Army confiscated the content of a storage room (container) that was filled with horse-related items. My loss is estimated at around NIS 200,000 not to mention the damage caused to room where the farm worker used to reside in'.

Photo 3: The ruins of the chicken and sheep farm of Mr. Waâ??el Darwish Dana in Al Zayyem

• Another demolished economic entity that was destroyed by the Israeli Army was that of Mr. Mahmoud Issa Subeih. He used to own a large chicken farm which was encircled by Israeli soldiers at 7:00 AM on April 26th, 2006. The farm was the only source of income for four families (20 members of which 12 were children) since its establishment in 1995. The pretext the Israeli Army used to justify the demolition was that the farm was located in Area C. Israeli bulldozers destroyed the pin in which the animals were housed as Israeli soldiers confiscated a container in which the farm workers used to live. Weighing equipment and a fuel tank were also confiscated. Mr. Dana estimates his losses to be more than NIS 150,000. 

Photos 4 & 5: ruins of the farm of Mr. Mahmoud Issa Subeih in Al Zayy

• Mr. Zeid Zidan Jaber (whose house demolition case was mentioned in case No. 2) indicated that while Israeli forces were demolishing his house, they bulldozed a storage room for used electronic items and work material in addition to some marble stones set to be used for the construction of the house and the storage room. One of the sons of Mr. Jaber, Ismaeil, estimated that the monetary loss of the storage room alone was more than NIS 12,500.   

• Mr. Issa Mohammad Issa Abu Al Hawa had his cow farm demolished by the Israeli Army. In an interview with the LRCâ??s field worker he said the following: 'Israeli forces encircled our farm in the morning of April 26th, 2006. We had that farm for the last 15 years on a land of ours in Al Zeayyem village. They have destroyed it all. Some of our neighbors called us to inform us that the Israelis are demolishing our farm. I went to the location at once along with a number of women from the family, yet the Army did not allow them to pass through. After destroying the fence that surrounded the farm, the bulldozers started to tear down the four pins (area = 275 m2) in which 17 cows used to be placed. The demolition took place atop the milking machines with an estimated loss of more than NIS 20,000. As for the chicken section of the farm, the Israeli soldiers demolished it atop of all the equipment inside. The loss there is estimated to be NIS 12,000. Now the chicken and the cows have no place to be put in. The demolished farm was the source of income for an 8-member family in addition to the farm workers'. 

• An animal pin that belonged to Mr. Naâ??eem Salama Abu Sbeitan (50 years old) was also targeted for demolition by soldiers of the Israeli Army. The soldiers and their demolishing machines forced their way into the pin in which a horse and its two youngsters and a number of sheep were located. It is worth noting here that Mr. Abu Sbeitan was raising these animals for house consumption and pleasure and not for commercial purposes. The farm was established 18 years ago. In an interview with LRCâ??s field worker Mr. Abu Sbeitan said the following: 'In the morning of April 26th, 2006 we were told by the neighbors that an Israeli bulldozer was destroying our farm along with two big containers filled with car parts and engines located close to the car repair shop that I own. My financial loss is more than NIS 100,000. In addition, the horses and sheep are now without a place to house them'. 

Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC