AG to Barkat: Beit Yonatan will be sealed

Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein sends letter to Jerusalem Mayor Barkat stressing Jewish site in Silwan will be sealed as per court's ruling, claims implementation of order not subject to his consideration as mayor

Aviad Glickman|Published: 01.13.11 , 16:14

Despite a compromise proposed by Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat the State insists on implementing the sealing order imposed on Beit Yonatan in east Jerusalem's Silwan neighborhood. Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein sent a letter to Barkat Thursday stating that a date in the near future must be set for the implementation of the order.

Weinstein noted that the implementation of the order was "an obligation set by the court" and stressed that it was not subject to Barkat's consideration as the mayor of Jerusalem, nor to his as the chief enforcer in the State of Israel.

Beit Yonatan. Not up to Barkat to decide (Photo: Noam Moskowitz)

"I have asked the enforcement elements to try and have the implementation of the order be performed at the same time another order is being carried out," Weinstein added. He was referring to the evacuation of Arab residents from the Abu Nab house which is adjacent to Beit Yonatan.

He stressed that the sealing order must be implemented "without the intervention of unauthorized elements" and noted that he has informed the political rank of this decision.

Weinstein even hinted to Barkat that he should be careful for his actions over the Beit Yehonatan issue could come to criminal proceedings. He referred the Mayor to the Attorney General's directive which stated that "an elected representative's attempts to intervene in favor of one defendant or another in criminal proceedings carried out by the criminal prosecution has no place and is inappropriate.

"These actions harm the independence of Israel's criminal prosecution system and could harm the parity of the criminal process, coloring it with political opinions, if in essence, if outwardly and in certain cases, the ations themselves could become a felony."

Last month Barkat prevented the evacuation of Beit Yonatan at the last minute after the Ateret Cohanim foundation lifted its demand to evacuate the residents of Abu Nab house which previously served as a synagogue. Barkat declared that should the foundation not agree to temporarily withdraw their demand he will evacuate both sites on the same day.