JERUSALEM: Since the far-right government led by Benjamin Netanyahu came to power in Israel in December 2022, atrocities against Palestinians have doubled. Palestinian homes in West Jerusalem are also being demolished, with military raids on refugee camps in the occupied West Bank and Jenin every night, killing children, teenagers and women.
The world is silent against Israel’s aggression. The army has been using bulldozers against Palestinian homes in West Jerusalem for weeks. Israel’s moves are aimed at reducing the Palestinian population in West Jerusalem, which is seen as the Palestinian capital. Israel demolished 39 Palestinian homes in January alone. Business establishments are also being destroyed. Palestinians cannot get permits to build houses in Israeli-occupied West Jerusalem. New houses are considered illegal.
Along with this, decades old houses are also being demolished. Ratib Mathwar, a construction contractor, is one of those who lost their homes. 11 people including brother, son, divorced daughter and grandchildren lived in Mathwar’s house. This house was demolished by Israeli bulldozers on January 29. Israel’s Security Minister Itamar Benguir also released footage of bulldozers entering Matwar’s home on Twitter.
United Nations figures show that Israel’s goal is to demolish 20,000 Palestinian homes in West Jerusalem. After the 1967 war, the Israeli government built 58,000 houses for Israelis in West Jerusalem.
Only 600 houses were built for Palestinians, says Daniel Seidman, a lawyer who specializes in housing restrictions in Jerusalem. About 40 percent of Jerusalem’s 1 million people are Palestinians. The anti-immigration group Ir Amim explains that Israel’s goal is to expel them from the city and take complete control of Jerusalem, which contains the holy places of worship.
Of the 21,000 homes approved by Israeli municipalities after 2019, only 7 percent went to Palestinians. Aviv Tatarsky, a researcher at Ir Amim, said Israel’s goal is to force Palestinians to leave Jerusalem by demolishing their homes without issuing permits. Meanwhile, Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Ari King said the government’s policies are welcome and are moving closer to the goal of a sovereign Jerusalem.
Palestinians are experiencing the worst Israeli attack since 2004. In 2022 alone, more than 150 Palestinians were shot by the Israeli army. 42 Palestinians were killed in 39 days in 2023. Despite the continued brutality of Israel, the world does not see the pain of the Palestinians. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has asked countries including the United States to intervene, but to no avail.