Ironic BUT REAL! Help demolish a Palestinian Home
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Ironic but true! We need you to help a Palestinian family in Jerusalem demolish their own home!
Abu Taki’s home, where he lives with his wife and four children, has been under demolition order by Israel for more than one year. Having exhausted all options through theIsraeli legal system, Abu Taki’s lawyer notified him that his home will be demolished by Israel on or after December 12, 2018, and he will be charged for the demolition – approximately $15,000 US dollars.
Abu Taki is ill, unemployed and without resources to pay for the demolition. So, like other Palestinian families in this situation, Abu Taki intends to demolish his own home and clean up the rubble before the court-imposed deadline. A self-demolition will cost about half, and maybe less if international volunteers can be recruited to assist with the actual demolition.
The Israeli policy of home demolition has been integral to Israel’s an ongoing efforts to ethnically cleanse Jerusalem of Palestinians. While some villages at risk of total demolition may get some media attention and international solidarity, most families in Jerusalem are forced to deal with the demolition of their home by themselves. The humanitarian aid provided by international organizations is totally insufficient to keep a family going for even a short time.
This surreal situation – Palestinian human rights supporters being asked to donate money to demolish a Palestinian home – is the outcome of the non-application of international humanitarian and human rights law in Jerusalem by Israel, and the inadequacy of international support for Jerusalemite families that are the frontline of the struggle to maintain Palestinian presence in Jerusalem.
After the demolition, Abu Taki’s brother and his family will continue to live in a part of the house that will not be demolished and Abu Taki will have to distribute his children among different relatives until he can figure out how to get and pay for another home to rent. In the meantime, the family’s meager belongings are at risk of being ruined in the winter weather. There is little hope for this family unless we come forward to help him demolish his home and support his next steps.
Please give generously.
Abu Taki’s home, where he lives with his wife and four children, has been under demolition order by Israel for more than one year. Having exhausted all options through theIsraeli legal system, Abu Taki’s lawyer notified him that his home will be demolished by Israel on or after December 12, 2018, and he will be charged for the demolition – approximately $15,000 US dollars.
Abu Taki is ill, unemployed and without resources to pay for the demolition. So, like other Palestinian families in this situation, Abu Taki intends to demolish his own home and clean up the rubble before the court-imposed deadline. A self-demolition will cost about half, and maybe less if international volunteers can be recruited to assist with the actual demolition.
The Israeli policy of home demolition has been integral to Israel’s an ongoing efforts to ethnically cleanse Jerusalem of Palestinians. While some villages at risk of total demolition may get some media attention and international solidarity, most families in Jerusalem are forced to deal with the demolition of their home by themselves. The humanitarian aid provided by international organizations is totally insufficient to keep a family going for even a short time.
This surreal situation – Palestinian human rights supporters being asked to donate money to demolish a Palestinian home – is the outcome of the non-application of international humanitarian and human rights law in Jerusalem by Israel, and the inadequacy of international support for Jerusalemite families that are the frontline of the struggle to maintain Palestinian presence in Jerusalem.
After the demolition, Abu Taki’s brother and his family will continue to live in a part of the house that will not be demolished and Abu Taki will have to distribute his children among different relatives until he can figure out how to get and pay for another home to rent. In the meantime, the family’s meager belongings are at risk of being ruined in the winter weather. There is little hope for this family unless we come forward to help him demolish his home and support his next steps.
Please give generously.
Organizer
Nora Lester Murad
Organizer
Newton, MA
