Days Of Palestine – Jerusalem

A Palestinian citizen from the occupied Jerusalem neighborhood of Shuafat embarked Friday on demolishing his own home after he was forced to do so by Israeli municipality to avoid paying exorbitant costs if the municipality carries out the demolition on its own.

Mohammad Abdul-Salam Bashti, 26, said he was forced to demolish his own home after the Israeli municipality issued a demolition order for the home under the pretext it was built without a permit. He added that he had no choice but to demolish the home to avoid paying some $20,000 in demolition costs to the Israeli municipality.

The home demolished was the only shelter for his family.

Palestinians in Jerusalem say they are forced to build without a permit because getting a building permit is impossible as the right-wing mayor and city council attempt to keep the city’s Palestinian population at a bare minimum while multiplying its Jewish residents by approving the construction of thousands of new housing units in Jewish settlements.

Almost 75 percent of applications for a permit by the Palestinian citizens of Jerusalem are rejected by the municipality, according to rights groups.