Annex to the monthly report on Israeli violations in

the occupied city of Jerusalem Jun 2012

Prepared by Land Research Center

Land and housing monitoring unit Jerusalem

In cooperation with The Civic Coalition for Defending the Palestinians'

Rights in Jerusalem July 2012

Round 6 of the Sixth Year

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Preface: The Israeli Occupation have escalated their attacks on Palestinians and their property in the Occupied City of Jerusalem during the month of June, 2012. A large-scale demolition campaign was carried out in the city; 21 structures including 6 in Beit Hanina were targeted. 4 sheds were demolished in Jabal al Mukkaber; one of the sheds was used as a barn and sheltered 150 goats while the rest were used to store hay and yeast. In Beit Iksa, the Israeli Occupation Authorities forced a Palestinian family to dismantle a barn and demolished another structure. 5 residential structures were demolished in Anata; the structures sheltered 29 people including 19 children. In addition, a barn was knocked down. On the other hand, Israeli colonists attempts to seize Palestinian property are unstoppable; colonists captured the roof of Al Qeisi shop in Aqbat al Saraya in a step towards capturing it. Colonists carried out several attacks against religious sites while benefiting from full protection of the Israeli Army. Raiding al Aqsa Mosque have become a trend lately. Also, colonists set Zayd ibn Haretha Mosque in Jaba' alight; consequently, all of the contents of the mosque were consumed by the fire. Various types of attacks took place in the Occupied City; all to drive the Palestinians away from the city. The Israeli Police harass the Palestinians with "penalties campaigns" against passer bys and cars. An unknown group of Israeli colonists launched an attack on Palestinian cars, blowing the wheels using melee weapons. Whereas any Palestinian activity is faced with a great deal of obstacles and limitations; the Jewish population of the city were allowed to organize the "lights of Jerusalem" festival in cooperation with the Israeli Ministry of Tourism. The celebrations lasted for nine consecutive days were loud music and flashing lights filled the city.

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The Right to Residency…House Demolitions Demolition 6 Commercial Structures in Beit Hanina On June 12, 2012, Israeli dozers knocked down 6 commercial shops (one building with a total area of 350 m2) located in Beit Hanina to the north of the Occupied City of Jerusalem. The demolition was justified by unlicensed construction. The building is the property of Usama al Malhi and Taleb Idris who bought it from Nabi al Rishq. Table: victims of the aggression:

No. Victim Structure Area (m2) remarks 1 Walid al Kir Cab company 50 2 Yacoub al Rajabi Barber shop 50 3 Taleb Idris (co owner) Coffee shop 200 Losses

estimated to be around 50,000 ILS

4 Ulayyan restaurant Meat storage 50 Usama al Malhi said: "we bought the building in 2006 from Nabil al Rishq who built it in 2002. Soon afterwards, we received a 500,000 ILS penalty for building without permit followed by 3 demolition orders. We applied for a permit and paid 160,000 from the penalty amount. Despite all this, they demolished the structure without even letting us clear the contents. Two dozers raised the building with all its contents. One of the workers was sleeping in the building; if he didn't wake up, the building would have collapsed over him. The Municipality ordered us to clean the rubble within a week or further penalties will be imposed. In addition, we are ought to pay for the demolition costs, more than 50,000 ILS. The total number of victims is 25 people."

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Picture 1-2: demolition ongoing

Demolishing 4 shacks in Jabal al Mukabber: On June 12, 2012, the Israeli Municipality in the Occupied City demolished for shacks; the largest is 350 m2 in area and was used as a barn sheltering 150 goats and sheep. The others were 100 m2 each and used to store hay and yeast. The shacks were the property of Aziz J'abees and were demolished on the pretext of no construction permit.

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Picture 3-4: rubble

The owner said: "the construction of the shacks was completed in 2002. They were built over a 1-dunum-plot which I owned for the benefit of my cattle. In 2010, Municipality officers showed up and stuck demolition orders on the shacks; they gave me a 35-day-respite to either dismantle the buildings or acquire a permit. I assigned Zyad Qi'war, an attorney of law, to follow up my permit application and brought a surveyor to provide official maps. My application cost me a total of 40,000 ILS. Several hearing sessions took place and every time my lawyer tried to stall. In the last session, it was decided that another one is ought to take place in July, 2012. However, today, at around 7:30 am, I was shocked to see all the Police cars and the dozer. They told me that I have ten minutes to clear the contents of the shacks. While moving the cattle away, the dozers embarked on the demolition; three heads were buried under the rubble while over 20 tons of hay, yeast, and cattle food with an estimated value of 50,000 were buried. The demolishing lasted for three hours; when there were done, the officer demanded that I clear the area and remove all the rubble within 3 days or they will confiscate the cattle ".

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Picture 5: shelter-less cattle

He added: "I do not know what am I supposed to do now, the cattle is my only source of living and they are now under the burning sunbeams without a shelter; in addition, if I did not remove the rubble they will impose more fines on me which I cannot afford or even worse, they will confiscate the cattle". Aziz is married and have 8 children, the oldest is 17 years of age. 3 of his children are mentally impaired.

Picture 6: Aziz children around the wreckage

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The Israeli Occupation Authorities force a family to demolish their own farm: On June 17, 2012, the Israeli Occupation Authorities forced Al Qayanya family in beit Iksa, north west of Jerusalem, to demolish an under-construction 190-m2 farm as well as a 35-m2 residence on the pretext of unlicensed construction in area classified 'C' according to Oslo despite the fact that the structures are located in area classified 'B' according to Israeli maps. The farm is property of three brothers:

1. Shareef, 37, married and have two children 2. Mohammad, 46, married and have 4 children – unemployed. 3. Khalil, 48, married and have 5 children.

Khalil said: "in 2010, we started the construction of a barn over aa plot that my father owned in order to enhance our income. We submitted a license application for the Higher Organization Council at the Palestinian Authority, considering that it is in charge of the village administrative affairs. The construction lasted for a year. In March, the director of Organization in Beit El Civil Administration Office, known only as "Mekha" showed up with a force of the Border Police and stuck a demolition order for the residence and the farm. Consequently, we assigned a lawyer to follow up the case. Ten days before the demolition date, Mekha showed up alone and ordered my brother Mohammad to demolish the residence and the farm within 48 hours unless he wants him to bring in the dozers and add the burden of demolition costs on him. The next day, we gathered a number of young men and embarked on dismantling the structures. The Israelis are fighting us in our sources of living, we built the farm over our own land to improve our income; we built it over an area classified 'B' according to Oslo and the maps prove that".

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Picture 7-8: dismanteled structures

Demolishing 5 structures and a barn in Anata: At midnight, on June 8, 2012, the Israeli Occupation Army demolished 5 residential shacks (built of metal slabs) in addition to barn justifying that by "illegal presence in the area". Table: victims:

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Victim Area m2

Family members

Children

Yousuf Jahaleen 45 6 4 Khader Jahaleen 40 6 4 Taleb Jahaleen 55 7 5 Mousa Dawaheek 50 5 3 Mohammad Dawaheek 55 5 3 Total 245 29 19 The barn was 60 m2 in area. Yousuf Hajaleen stated to an LRC observer: "we have been living here for 5 years; we took refuge in the area after we were expelled from our homes decades ago. 3 months ago, we received a demolition notification which was justified by the illegality of our presence. Yesterday, a large Israeli force showed up accompanied by staff of the Israeli Occupation Civil Administration and two dozers. They ordered us to immediately evacuate the shacks and pushed us away. They broke into the shacks and threw the contents out and released the cattle in the barn. Moments later, the dozers demolished the shacks, the barn, and five water tanks, 105 m3 in volume. We will rebuild our homes as we have nowhere else to go and if they do not like it, they shall leave themselves".

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Picture 9-10: demolitions in Anata

The Right to Residency…Seizure Attempts

Israeli colonists break into a Palestinian shop: Israeli colonists attempts to seize Palestinian property are unstoppable; colonists embark on new methods to sneak into Palestinian houses and shops every day while being granted full protection from the Israeli Occupation Army. Israeli colonists broke into the roof of Husein Al Qaisy (51) shop in Aqbat al Saraya in an attempt to capture it while taking advantage of his absentees. The colonists took advantage of the owner's trip to Hebron where he went to check on his grandparents place which was seized by the Israeli Occupation Army and robbed. The owner said: "the Israeli Police is trying to make troubles for me in order to force me to drop looking for my grandparents place. As soon as I went back to my shop in Jerusalem, the shop where I spend a lot of time in to protect it from the colonists, I felt that something was wrong.

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I found out that the colonists have made a 50 * 50 hole in the wall and broke into the shop. They sneaked from the upper floor which used to be inhabited by Al Kurd family before they were kicked out. 3 months ago, I was called by an Israeli Court to respond to a case filed by the colonists against me; the colonists claimed that I start fire in the shop and that the smoke hurts them. The judge ruled in their favor, unjustly, and ordered me to stay away from my shop for a period of a month. However, the lawyer followed the case up and he managed to cancel the first sentence 22 days later. Eli, an Israeli colonist who took over the building, offered me an amount of 1 million USD to sell the shop and I told him that I will never do even if you pay me 60 million; but that proves that he does not own it". LRC warns of the documents foraging and the use of phony documents to take over Palestinian properties. It also warns of buying property from those who claim ownership while Israeli Authorities neglects such counterfeiting to facilitate seizing Palestinian properties all around the Occupied City.

Aggressions against Religious Sites Colonists set a mosque ablaze: On June 19, 2012, Israeli colonists set Zayd ibn Haretha mosque in Jaba' ablaze after breaking its windows and sneaking into it. They also wrote some slogans on the walls of the mosque, the likes of "payback" and "Lenova colony". Shihda Kadam, a member of Jaba' Village Council, said: "at around 1:30 am, flames were seen rising of the mosque; the villagers rushed to put the fire down. Slogans were written on the walls of the mosqye, the likes of "payback" which is the name of a group which has been responsible for several attacks against Palestinian properties all around the West Bank and call for murdering Arabs and expelling them. I called the Israeli Police and asked them to send a fire truck from the nearby colony of Adam; however, they refused and told me to call the Palestinian Civil Defense. Meanwhile, the flames were consuming the contents of the mosque. At 4:00 am, the head of the Village Council called the Palestinian Coordination Office urging them to call the Israeli side and make them send a fire truck.

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An hour later, the Israeli Army Commander in the area showed up with a large Israeli force and ordered us not to touch a thing until the "Crime Scene Investigation Unit" arrives. The unit arrived at 9, asked some questions, took some testimonies and ordered us to wipe the slogans off which we refused in order to leave a mark of the Israeli racism and hatred".

Picture 12: offensive slogans

Picture 13: flames consumed the mosque from within… nothing remained

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Raids and Closures: A new Israeli Penalties Campaign: Unreasonable penalties are the price Palestinians have to pay when moving around the Occupied City of Jerusalem; occasionally, the Israeli Municipality in the Occupied City officers and Police officers place random checkpoints around the city and look for the slightest of reasons to write Palestinian tickets. In the past, such campaigns took place in Saladin and Al Zahara roads but extended to cover various parts of the City. Palestinians are harassed during such campaigns and sometime abused orally and even physically. Samer Mheisen was furious because of a penalty that was imposed on him so he yelled at the officers. They responded by cold-bloodedly called the Police which arrested Samer and accused him of obstructing the officers work. Such measures are intended to force the Palestinians away from the city center and the commercial heart of Jerusalem in order to weaken it and gradually emptying it.

Picture 14: Municipality officers

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For the fourth year in a row, the Lights of Jerusalem Festival, another Judization project: The Israeli Municipality in the Occupied City and the Israeli Ministry of Tourism organized the Jerusalem Lights Festival in cooperation with a number of Israeli organizations. The festival lasted for 9 days were flashy lights and loud music and parties roared around the city. The Israeli government seeks the attraction of tourists and presenting the "Jewish" side of the city. The festival includes light-reflection shows as 28 devices spread all around the old city beams light all around the city; in addition to concerts at Herod's gate, slideshows in Damascus Gate, movies in Solomon's caves, and various "artistic" works spread in and around the Old City. Without a doubt, the purpose of such a festival is presenting the Jewish side of the City while completely neglecting the centuries-old Arab and Islamic culture. The festival was condemned by a number of organizations and figures who called for increasing the Arab activities in the city as a counter measure.

Aggressions on Individuals Israeli colonial group ravages Palestinian cars: On June 15, 2012, Israeli colonists broke into Ard al Samar neighborhood in the Occupied City at around midnight and punctured the tires of 6 cars parked in the area using melee weapons. The assailants retreated without leaving any traces. On the next night, the same group attacked Al Sahel neighborhood and punctured the wheels of ten other cars. This time, they signed out by writing offensive slogans on the walls. It must be noted that this is the second attack against Ard al Samar in two years; the first attack ended with a complaint being filed to the Israeli Police which did nothing to handle the issue.

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The negligence of the Police encouraged the colonists to launch more attacks on the helpless Palestinian population in the city. LRC views such racial attacks as a breach of the International Law and the International Humanitarian Law which urges the occupier to provide civilians with protection. Obviously, the Israelis got it all wrong as protection and support is being given to the assailants.

Picture 15-16: damaged cars