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Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch
Photo: Roee Idan

Aharonovitch: No more delays, we will demolish Arab homes in J'lem

Internal security minister says while there were times in past when political echelon chose not to execute demolition orders issued against illegal houses in east Jerusalem for political reasons, now, 'there is nothing preventing us from executing orders tomorrow morning'

Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch revealed during a Knesset session on Wednesday that the police will soon be providing security to inspectors slated to demolish illegal Arab homes in east Jerusalem.

 

The minister's comments came in response to a query submitted by Knesset Member Yariv Levin (Likud). He claimed the Jerusalem Municipality was not executing demolition orders issued against Arab houses, and asked if an order was given to the Israel Police not to carry out the orders at this time.

 

Aharonovitch responded saying, "At the present time, there are no orders for the Israel Police not to execute the demolition orders. The Jerusalem District can allocate the force required for the execution, in coordination with operational considerations."

 

MK Levin then asked, "When will the police deploy the required forces to execute the orders?"

 

MK Talab El-Sana then asked if this would include the Jewish building known as Beit Yehonatan, and wanted to know why the law was not being enforced in the settlements.


Demolition of house in east Jerusalem (Photo: AP)

 

In response to Levin's question, Aharonovitch said, "I will say this clearly: There is nothing preventing us, nothing preventing us from executing the signed demolition orders tomorrow morning. The police will assist and provide full protection for the execution of the orders."

 

The minister told Levin that the houses were not demolished in the past due to political considerations. "There were times in the past when the political echelon, myself included, thought the timing was not right to execute the order, because of one process or another," he said.

 

'Execution in coming days'

"So, it is not that the execution was not carried out, or that it was revoked, it was simply delayed. At this time I stand here and say, there are no delays, and it should be carried out in the coming days. There are already execution orders on the way, and you will see these things, I hope, in the coming days. This means, if there was a delay, it is no longer on the table, and the order will be executed."

 

In response to El-Sana's question, Aharonovitch said, "I say, regarding the enforcement, there is no discrimination, I am speaking in terms of the police's assistance, whether this addresses Beit Yehonatan, as you enquired, or the execution orders, as Knesset Member Levin mentioned.

 

"We are not the body that issues the orders. Be it the Interior Ministry, or the municipality, or any other body, we only assist the bodies that execute judicial court orders or administrative ones. We provide the assistance.

 

"Regarding Beit Yehonatan, I say that, as far as I am concerned, any assistance requested by the city will be provided, we will provide the forces. We are not on the deciding side."

 

However, he stated that a situation could be created in which the police may request to postpone the demolition. "A situation could occur, as has happened in the past, and could happen in the future, that the police may ask not to execute the orders on certain days, due to a specific situation on the ground,,, Therefore, the operational considerations are in the hands of the district commander. This is not called cancelling, but postponing."

 


פרסום ראשון: 05.12.10, 15:05
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