JCESR warns of ramifications of Barkat demolition plans

Monday, 01 February 2010 08:32

JCESR warns of ramifications of Barkat demolition plans

In a letter to the so called State Prosecutor Moshe Lador, Mayor of occupied Jerusalem, the right wing Nir Barkat, revealed his plans to implement demolition orders for 70 Palestinian homes.

JCSER warns of the ramifications of Barkat plans which will include more than 70 homes which will threaten to displace around 500 Palestinians. The center fears that the mayor plan might include demolitions in Jerusalem neighborhoods of Ras al-Amud, Shiekh Jarah and Shu'fat.

The center believes that the municipality plans aims to depopulate the city of its native residents in favor of increasing the Jewish population.

JCSER would like to remind that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that:

"Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control." (article 25(1))

Moreover article 11.1 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights stipulates that:

"The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions."

However, since the beginning of 2010, Is

raeli occupation municipality forced two Palestinians to demolish their own homes which locate in al-Thuri and Mount of Olives while it delayed  implementing a court decision to evacuate settler from a building in Silwan village.