Jerusalem Mayor: Homes Cannot be Demolished for Political Reasons
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not given the Jerusalem municipality permission to demolish homes in the eastern Arab neighborhoods on the basis of political reasons, Mayor Nir Barkat said on Tuesday.
“As of now, the Prime Minister’s Bureau does not permit the demolition of homes,” Barkat told the State Control Committee. “The bottom line is that the Jerusalem municipality can not carry out any demolitions unless accompanied by the police.”
This was the first time Barkat has openly admitted to the fact that the Prime Minister’s Bureau has interfered with the matter of home demolitions in East Jerusalem. The city carried out just 20 home demolitions in the last year, compared to an average of 70 to 100 in the years prior.
Why I became the Forward’s editor-in-chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
, editor-in-chiefSupport our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
