UN: Israel Demolitions Must Cease

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has issued a report detailing the difficulties facing Palestinians in East Jerusalem who wish to build legal domiciles, and is demanding that Israel cease demolishing these homes. The report seeks to address "the phenomenon of 'illegal' Palestinian construction in East Jerusalem resulting from the failure of the Israeli authorities to provide adequate planning for Palestinian neighbourhoods."

The report, titled "The Planning Crisis in East Jerusalem: Understanding the Phenomenon of 'Illegal' Construction," then outlines the far-reaching impact that mass demolitions have had on the Palestinian population since they began in 2000: "Not only must displaced families overcome the psychological distress of losing their homes, they are usually burdened with debt after the loss of their primary asset, the demolished house, and, if they retained a lawyer, the payment of legal fees. In the case of East Jerusalem, families also face heavy fines imposed by the Jerusalem municipality and, in some cases, prison sentences."

According to the report, 673 homes were demolished in East Jerusalem between 2000 and 2008, constituting a quarter of all West Bank demolitions for that period. Moreover, since the beginning of 2009, 19 Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem have been demolished, displacing over 100 residents, including 60 children. And, according to the report, another 60,000 residents are threatened with like treatment.

The report outlines the domestic zoning policies that make it all but impossible for Palestinians to build legally within the Israeli-annexed area of East Jerusalem and the West Bank. According to the UN, only 13 percent of this area is allocated for Palestinian residents, while 35 percent is for Israeli "settlements," even though these settlements are "in violation of international law."

According to the Associated Press, Jerusalem's mayor Nir Barkat denies any unequal treatment and claims to enforce zoning and demolition laws evenly between Jews and Arabs.

Read the full report here, with graphs and maps included:

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