Jerusalem Municipality demolishes duplex under construction, al-‘Esawiyah, East Jerusalem

At ~8:00 A.M. today (Wed., 15 August 2018), Jerusalem Municipality personnel came with Border Police and a bulldozer to al-‘Esawiyah and demolished a duplex under construction. The 240-sqm house was meant for a family of six, including a 12-year-old. By not drawing up detailed urban building plans, which are key to issuing building permits, for the Palestinian neighborhoods of East Jerusalem, the municipality leaves residents no choice but to overcome the dearth of homes, public buildings, infrastructure and trade and recreation services by building without permits.