Skip to content

Resident of jerusalem demolishes his own home

Resident of Jerusalem demolishes his own home after he was unable to pay fine

by Saed Bannoura – 
 

On Saturday, a Palestinian resident of Beit Hanina neighborhood in East Jerusalem had to demolish his own home built ten years ago after he was unable to pay a high fine imposed on him by the Jerusalem Municipality.

The Jerusalem municipality said that the home was built without a construction permit and imposed a 130.000 NIS fine.
 

Al Shalloudi then decided to ask the court to allow him to rent bulldozers to demolish him home in order to avoid the high cost of the Jerusalem Municipality bulldozers and a 60-day imprisonment. The municipality agreed and gave him forty days to remove the rubble on his own expense or else he would have to pay a 14.000 NIS fine. “I had to demolish my own home, I am a truck driver, I can’t pay the high fine, I have seven members in my family”, Al Shalloudi said, “We have lots of expenses, my children go to school, and one of them, 11 years old, goes to a school for children with special needs as he cannot hear of speak”.  Al Shalloudi built his home in 2000, he lived in it with his five children, ages 10-16, and his wife; it was a 120 square/meter home with four rooms and bathrooms”.  He said that he paid a 48.000 NIS fine to the Jerusalem municipality after the municipality claimed that he built his home without a construction permit.    He is currently living with his family in a tin-house but he said that the Jerusalem Municipality would most likely demolish it and the family would end up living in a tent. “The Jerusalem Municipality does not want to see Palestinians living in peace in their own homes”, Al Shalloudi stated, “The municipality wants to expel the Palestinians out of the holy city”.  

MRN