Israel forcing Palestinians in East Jerusalem to self- demolish their homes

Palestinians living in East Jerusalem, which is under Israeli occupation, are forced to demolish their homes with their own hands because they cannot afford the expenses imposed on them by Israeli authorities for carrying out the demolition. The costs incurred by the teams from the Israeli municipality, who come to carry out the demolition, amount to 60,000 shekels (approximately 16,000 dollars). Difficult Choice Hasan Cafer (53), a resident of the neighborhood in the Old City of East Jerusalem, expressed that he was faced with two difficult choices. He had to choose between demolishing the apartment on the third floor of an old building he had built for his son, which overlooks the Dome of the Rock, with his own hands or paying the demolition costs to Israel. Cafer stated that he had to choose the former option in the face of these unpleasant choices. Cafer described the dilemma he was in, saying, 'You build a house with great difficulty and then you have to destroy it with your own hands.' According to official Israeli data, approximately 370,000 Palestinians live in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem. However, according to the civil society organization 'Now for Peace,' there are more than 200,000 settlers in 14 Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem. Demolished Despite Permit Procedures Hasan Cafer explained that after his son's apartment, where he had been living for 8 years, was demolished, he became homeless with his wife and two daughters. Father Cafer continued, 'My son has been living in this apartment with his wife and two daughters for 8 years, and we completed all the necessary legal procedures to obtain a building permit. We even hired an engineer and a lawyer to follow this process. When we saw that Israeli officials had posted a notice on the door of the house instructing us to demolish the apartment, we were shocked. They also did not officially inform our lawyer of this decision.' Cafer noted that they were not given extra time to demolish the apartment, saying, 'We asked them to give us time until the family could find another place to move to. However, they refused and demanded that we vacate and demolish the apartment ourselves, or else they would demolish it and impose a fine.' 'The Blessing of Jerusalem Gives Us Patience' Hasan Cafer and his sons demolished the apartment they had emptied of their belongings on Wednesday using shovels. Cafer, who had to demolish his own apartment, said, 'We say, 'God is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs.' We are doing this demolition reluctantly. Only the blessing of Jerusalem gives us patience. Building a house with your own hands and then having to destroy it with your own hands is a difficult situation.' 'We Live with 10 People in a 73-Square-Meter Apartment' Limited housing opportunities and high prices The scarcity of land in East Jerusalem and the refusal of Israeli authorities to grant building permits make it difficult for Palestinians to find housing. Even if permits are granted, the high cost of construction leads to an increase in rental and sales prices. In the area, the price of a 100-square-meter apartment exceeds half a million dollars, while rents start at $1,000 and can go up to $2,500 depending on the location. Israel's far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, had called for the acceleration of the demolition of Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem at the beginning of the year. Restrictions on Palestinian Construction Activities Palestinian, Israeli, and international human rights organizations argue that the Tel Aviv authorities restrict the construction activities of Palestinians in East Jerusalem while facilitating those of Jewish settlers. Israeli authorities either demolish 'illegally built' houses or force the homeowners to demolish them by threatening fines. According to a report prepared by the United Nations Humanitarian Coordination Office, demolitions in the 'C' area, which constitutes 60% of East Jerusalem and the West Bank, are carried out on the pretext of the lack of building permits that are 'almost impossible for Palestinians to obtain' according to Israel. The report also notes that Palestinians in East Jerusalem demolish their homes themselves to avoid paying fines to Israeli authorities.