Slippery Slope

The municipality of Jerusalem demolished two buildings built without permits in the northwester neighborhood of Beit Hanina, even though approximately 30 Palestinians lived in the houses. (Haaretz)

(Hebrew – Haaretz)

The Housing and Construction Ministry, Israel Lands Administration and Jerusalem municipality are trying to dramatically short-circuit the issuing of construction tenders for 1,500 housing units in the capital’s Ramat Shlomo neighborhood, the focus of international censure, so they can begin marketing the project before the January 22 elections.

The Jerusalem Municipality plans to evict 120 Bedouin from the village of Arab al Qurshan in order to make room for a waste landfill.  The 120 villagers have lived in the small village, situated between Isawiyah and Shoafat, for the past 40 years. (Haaretz)

(Hebrew – Haaretz)

The Jerusalem municipality issued new directives concerning demonstrations. Demonstrations will only be allowed between 7am and 11pm, and protest tents will be forbiddden in two central parks where they stood last summer.

(Hebrew)

The City of Jerusalem decided to extend a parking arrangement in the Armenian Quarter of the Old City, permitting parking in the quarter to Jews only.

The Jerusalem municipality distributed brochures explaining next year’s kindergarten registration procedures including the new implementation of free education from age three. The Arabic-language brochures did not mention the change.

(Hebrew)

The Jerusalem municipality directed City Council members Eli Simchayof and Avraham Feiner to suspend themselves following their indictments in the Holyland scandal.

(More information in Hebrew)

Magistrate Court Judge, Gad Ehrenberg, ruled that the Jerusalem Municipality will pay over $260,000 damages and over $50,000 expenses due to its failure to supervise the adoption of three children in a foster family. Due to this negligence, the oldest daughter suffered sexual and physical abuse.

(Hebrew)

The Ras el-Amud mosque, situated on  Mount of Olives, has been illegally expanded by 217 square meters (about 2,335 square feet) on state-owned land, but the Jerusalem municipality has not yet demolished the buildings.

Jerusalem District Court Justice Dr. Yigal Marzel determined that the Jerusalem Municipality violated the Supreme Court’s orders regarding providing assistance to the city’s LGBT community’s “Open House”.

(Hebrew)