Occupied Jerusalem – Zaytoun News
Extremist Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has asked the Israeli police to prefer demolishing inhabited homes in Palestinian towns and villages in the 1948 territories under the pretext that they were built without permits.
This request came despite the fact that he does not have the authority over the policy of demolishing homes, as this authority is in the hands of the Attorney General of the Government Gali Baharav-Miara and in coordination with law enforcement agencies.
Israeli newspaper Haaretz quoted two sources saying that Ben-Gvir instructed officers of the National Unit for Coordination of Enforcement Operations in the police responsible for demolishing homes, during several meetings attended by representatives of law enforcement agencies, to demolish homes inhabited by families, under the pretext of “demonstrating the ability to rule and increase deterrence.”
Ben-Gvir added that “the greatest deterrence is to remove a family from the home,” according to one of the sources.
He demanded that the authorities carry out the demolition of homes and not the owners of the homes, as is currently the case.
One of the sources pointed out that when the minister says that he prefers inhabited buildings, it is quite clear that he means that he prefers demolition in Palestinian towns and villages in the 1948 territories, and that “Ben Gvir seeks provocation and chaos, that is what interests him.”
Haaretz added that senior police officers confirmed that Ben Gvir demanded in closed meetings to push forward the demolition of inhabited homes, “even though in many cases it is not a top priority, and in some of them it is possible to reach a settlement or suffice with self-demolition.”
The newspaper reported that the police are escalating the demolition policy in Palestinian towns and villages in the 1948 territories, with the aim of appeasing Ben Gvir, who wants to implement the demolition of buildings in Arab society.
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