Palestinians face spike in Israeli demolitions in East Jerusalem

Just across the road are the Palestinian villages of Umm Tuba and Sur Baher, where many public facilities are notably inferior to those in Har Homa.

In stark contrast to the building work on the other side of the highway, several homes have been forcibly demolished here in recent years in what Amnesty International describes as “a flagrant violation of international law and part of a systematic pattern by the Israeli authorities to forcibly displace Palestinians”.

It’s a similar picture in the settlement of Gilo, expanding rapidly in what is internationally regarded as occupied East Jerusalem, while, it’s argued, neighbouring Palestinian suburbs are denied the ability to grow at anything like the same rate.

The international community considers Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this. Israel also denies that demolitions are part of deliberate policy of discrimination that has gathered pace under the cover of the distraction of the Gaza war.

In a statement, the Jerusalem Municipality said the accusations were “absolutely false” and that it had local support for “comprehensive building and construction plans across nearly all areas of East Jerusalem”.

The plans “aim to provide options for neighbourhood expansion, address the widespread issue of illegal construction, and designate areas for the construction of municipal service structures,” it added.

But it isn’t hard to find examples where Israeli demolition orders against Palestinian homes are being enforced across East Jerusalem.