A Palestinian man had to tear down his own house in the Old City of Jerusalem today after the Israeli occupation authorities threatened him with hefty fines.
Kayed Idkedek said he had no choice but to comply with the demolition order issued by the Israeli municipality of Jerusalem, which claimed he had built his house without a permit.
Idkedek is one of many Palestinians who face the risk of losing their homes in Jerusalem under the Israeli policy of restricting their growth and presence in the occupied city.
The Israeli occupation rarely grants building permits to Palestinians in Jerusalem, which it occupied and annexed in 1967 in a move that is not recognized by most of the international community.
Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation continues to build illegal Jewish settlements in and around Jerusalem, altering its demographic and geographic character.
Palestinians in Jerusalem are treated as “residents” rather than citizens by Israel, and can lose their status if they leave the city for a certain period of time.
They also suffer from discrimination and lack of access to basic services, as well as being cut off from the rest of the occupied Palestinian Territory by Israel’s separation wall.
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