"We were forced to start demolishing the house ourselves to avoid the municipality's demolition fees, which can reach 100,000 shekels [$32,000]. We started by breaking down the inside of the house and sent the municipality photos to confirm that we had begun the demolition, but they demanded that we demolish it from the outside as soon as possible."
"The choice between self-demolition and paying a further fee to the municipality is a simple one – the vast majority of Palestinians can't afford to pay the exorbitant amount, and resort to demolishing their own homes, despite the immense pain and profound psychological impact it causes."
Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem struggle to obtain building permits from Israeli authorities, resulting in demolition orders and severe financial consequences. Basema Dabash and her family received a demolition order in 2014 and were forced to self-demolish their home in February to avoid municipality demolition fees reaching 100,000 shekels. Despite self-demolishing, the family still faces a 45,000 shekel fine payable until 2029. Most Palestinians cannot afford the exorbitant demolition fees and choose self-demolition despite its psychological toll. This pattern reflects systemic restrictions on Palestinian construction in East Jerusalem, which Israel has controlled since 1967.
#palestinian-housing-rights #east-jerusalem-demolitions #israeli-building-permits #occupation-policy #self-demolition
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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