Occupation forces Jerusalemite to demolish 5 commercial facilities in Jerusalem

The Israeli occupation municipality in Jerusalem forced on Saturday the Jerusalemite Adham Tabash to demolish five commercial facilities he owns in Wadi al-Joz, under the pretext of building without a permit. The facilities included a carpentry workshop, a tourism office, and a bakery, and were a source of income for dozens of workers. The Jerusalem Governorate stated that Tabash was forced to self-demolish after being threatened with heavy fines, after previously paying about 300,000 shekels in fines.

The Israeli occupation municipality in Jerusalem forced on Saturday the Jerusalemite Adham Tabash to demolish five commercial facilities he owns in the industrial zone of Wadi al-Joz, under the pretext of building without a permit. The Jerusalem Governorate said that Tabash was forced to self-demolish after receiving threats of imposing heavy financial fines if the municipality carried out the demolition. It explained that the facilities have been standing for decades, and that the owner has paid fines amounting to about 300,000 shekels (about $100,000) over the past years. The facilities included a carpentry workshop, a tourism and travel office, a motorcycle repair shop, a bakery, and another facility, and they were a source of income for dozens of workers and their families. According to the governorate's data, Jerusalem witnessed 40 demolition and bulldozing operations during August, including 14 carried out by their owners under pressure from the municipality, in addition to issuing 86 demolition notices. These measures come in a continuous context of demolition operations targeting Palestinian facilities under the pretext of lack of licensing, amid criticism of Israeli policies.