The Jerusalem Municipality has informed three families in the al-Bustan neighborhood of Silwan that it plans to demolish their homes within two weeks. The families have been instructed to evacuate in preparation for the demolitions. Two of the buildings are residential with six apartments, while the third is a garage. 16 men, women and children are expected to lose their homes.
This follows the demolition of five houses, including seven residential units, and the community center in November, which left 35 residents homeless. In February, the municipality demolished the home of Fakhri Abu Diab, head of the al-Bustan Residents’ Committee, displacing ten family members.
The Jerusalem Municipality’s notice to the residents of the al-Bustan neighborhood in Silwan, dated November 24, 2024, informed them of the city’s intention to demolish their home within two weeks
It is important to note that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague ruled that house demolitions in East Jerusalem are part of an unlawful discriminatory practice (paragraph 222 of the Advisory Opinion).
Peace Now : “The Jerusalem Municipality has begun a systematic campaign to demolish an entire residential neighborhood in East Jerusalem to build a tourist park. This is an injustice that cannot go unnoticed. Instead of caring for the thousands of Jerusalem residents, the municipality is acting against them. The residents of al-Bustan invested years preparing a building plan to legalize their homes, but the municipality has refused to advance any plan. Jerusalem is not a unified city; it is a city of occupation, dispossession and discrimination.”
The plan to build a tourist park in al-Bustan is part of a larger government initiative, funded by the state with hundreds of millions of shekels annually, aimed at creating a ring of tourist parks around the Old City. The al-Bustan neighborhood “blocks” the completion of the tourist path around the Old City, which is why the municipality is pursuing its demolition.
For more on the situation in al-Bustan, Silwan, see here.
Map of Parks Surrounding the Old City as Part of the Government Plan: “King’s Garden” (in yellow) refers to the Al-Bustan Neighborhood.