ISRAELI FORCES AGAIN DEMOLISHING PALESTINIAN HOMES IN ISRAEL

Photo: Ma'an News Agency — Photo: Ma’an News Agency

Ramalah, 19 Shawwal 1436/4 August 2015 (MINA) – Israeli bulldozers for the second time demolished homes belonging to a Palestinian family in the village of Dahmash in central Israel on Tuesday, local villagers said.

The three houses, belonged to the Assaf family, were reportedly demolished for having been built without the necessary construction permits, Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) reported, quoting Ma’an News Agency.

The demolishing drive was previously conducted on April 15, but were later rebuilt by a local Palestinian popular committee.

A Palestinian member of the Knesset, Talab Abu Arrar, said that the demolition of the homes was a clear sign that Israel has no commitment to the development of Palestinian communities living in Israel.

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The entirety of Dahmash village, which has a population of 700 people, has been under threat of demolition for months as it is unrecognized by Israel, Abu Arrar said.

He called for the protection of Palestinians living in Israel, saying that they are a very easy target for the Israeli state .

An estimated 700-800 thousand Palestinians were violently expelled from their homes in what became Israel in 1948.

Today, those who remained on their land in 1948 and their descendants number over 1.3 million.

While Israeli law guarantees Palestinians the same equality as other citizens, in practice there are claims of discrimination in government funding and a raft of other issues.

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Israeli Palestinian rights group Adalah says that only 4.6 percent of new homes built in Israel are in Palestinian towns and villages, even though Palestinians make up over 20 percent of the population.

The difficulty for Palestinians to obtain building permits forces them to expand or build homes and structures without permits, which are liable to later be torn down.

Human rights organizations and the United Nations criticize the ongoing demolitions of Palestinian homes as violating international law, and Amnesty International has contended that the Israeli government actually uses demolitions to collectively punish Palestinians and to seize property for the expansion oIsraeli settlements. (T/P010/RO6)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)