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Jamal's room was demolished

Right wing decries partial demolition of terrorist's home

As IDF demolishes only part of building in which Har Adar terrorist resided, right wing MKs protest policy differentiating between rooms, floor and buildings according to ownership; 'Netiv HaAvot residents should sell homes to families of terrorists so High Court ruling on settlement's demolition be carried out by only tearing down single room,' says MK Smotrich.

Two months after he murdered a Border Policeman and two civilian security guards at the entrance to Har Adar, security forces demolished part of the building in which terrorist Nimer Jamal resided in the village of Beit Surik. This was not satisfactory, however, in the eyes of many right-wing figures who protested the army's demolition of only the terrorist's apartment, while sparing the rest of the building.

 

 

"My advice to the residents of Netiv HaAvot is to sell their homes to families of terrorists. That way the High Court's ruling on their demolition can be carried out by merely 'shaving off' half a room. If it wasn't so sad, we'd be laughing," said MK Bezalel Smotrich (Bayit Yehudi).

 

The room in which the Har Adar terrorist resided was demolished (Photo: Elior Levy)
The room in which the Har Adar terrorist resided was demolished (Photo: Elior Levy)

 

His co-party member MK Shuli Mualem added, "I can't help but wonder whether the High Court is actually the best possible renovation company for families of terrorists. A heinous murderer commits a crime, the High Court orders his home destroyed and they end up tearing down one room of a building. It's a disgrace."

 

Border Policemen and Civil Administration officials arrived to Beit Surik Tuesday night and surrounded the terrorist's home with the intention of demolishing it. After ascertaining all residents have cleared the structure, the forces were satisfied with demolishing the floor on which Jamal resided. Ahmad Jamal, one of the terrorist's family members, told Yedioth Aharonoth that while Nimer resided on the second floor, the house was neither owned by him nor registered in his name.

 

In the past few years, High Court judges ruled that before security forces demolish the houses of terrorists, they have to take into account the principle of proportionality and the need to avoid collective punishment. The judges' ruling came in response to severe criticism levied at Israel in international and legal forums due to the country's home demolition policy.

 

What the court's ruling means on the ground is that before demolishing a home, the security establishment must ascertain what the terrorist and his family's relative share of the overall structure is.

 

File photo: IDF demolishes terrorist's home (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
File photo: IDF demolishes terrorist's home (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

 

If they reside in a private home, it will be demolished completely. If they reside on an entire floor, it will be demolished or sealed. Lastly, if the terrorist resided in a single room, only it will be demolished whereas the rest of the building will remain standing.

 

The Ottman family in Abu Ghosh eagerly anticipated the demolition of the terrorist's Beit Surik home. "Demolishing the home is a welcome step. The candies handed out in Ramallah after my son was murdered have now become poison. It's too late now, but I would have liked the home to be uprooted and sent sky high," said Issam Ottman, the father of Youssef Ottman—one of the Har Adar attack's victims—Wednesday.

 

Tova Tzimuki, Elior Levy, Yishai Porat, Elisha Ben Kimon and Korin Elbaz Alush contributed to this report.

 


פרסום ראשון: 11.16.17, 20:32
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