While Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has during the past few weeks directed large numbers of Israeli forces to demolish several isolated West Bank Jewish homes deemed illegal, a report newly released charges that Jerusalem’s city hall deleted files documenting hundreds of illegal Arab building projects throughout eastern sections of Jerusalem.

Aryeh King, chairman of the Jerusalem Forum, which promotes Jewish construction in Jerusalem, initiated a state investigation into the deletions, which allegedly took place while Olmert served as mayor of the city. He charged that Olmert told senior municipal workers not to enforce a ban on illegal Arab buildings, allegedly saying to them eastern Jerusalem would one day be given to the Palestinians

The deleted files detail over 300 cases of Arab construction in eastern Jerusalem deemed illegal, beginning in 1999 and containing more than 20,000 units housing over 100,000 Arabs. The illegal buildings were reportedly constructed without permits and are still standing. According to law, they must be demolished.

The Jerusalem municipality released a statement in response to the allegations claiming the threat of Arab violence kept it from bulldozing the illegal Arab homes.

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 12th, 2006 and is filed under news.