Um El Fahm: Sit-in in front of a building threatened with demolition

SadaNews - The residents of Um El Fahm are staging a sit-in in front of the building and home of Suleiman Fahmawi, which is threatened with demolition in the Suisa area of the city. The building contains several residential apartments and commercial shops. The decision to hold the sit-in came from the popular committee, which approved several steps including a protest in front of the police station in Um El Fahm and setting up a protest tent, in addition to pressure from local authorities to prevent demolition orders.

 

The residents are gathering in front of the Fahmawi building, having received direct demolition orders from the Israeli police in the city, which raided the building and delivered the orders to its owner, claiming it was built without a permit, while demolition orders threaten dozens of other homes in the same area.

A number of banners rejecting the demolition orders were hung on the building, with some stating: "Stop the demolition of homes", "Our unity is our strength", and "No to the demolition policy in Arab villages and towns".

The building, constructed since 2013 before the passing of the "Kaminitz Law", contains three residential apartments, rental shops, and parking spaces. It has incurred a fine of about 200,000 shekels, which its owner has paid, but he was informed of the police's and district planning and construction committee's intentions to demolish the building located in the Suisa area, which contains more than 400 homes and buildings, most of which have received hefty fines along with demolition notices.

Mohammad Khadr Jabareen, the head of the popular committee in Um El Fahm, told "Arab 48" that "the threat of demolition hangs over Suleiman Fahmawi's home at any moment, so it is the duty of all the residents of the city, young and old, men and women, to be present and protest to prevent the demolition, as this will open the door for demolishing other homes".

Regarding the next steps, Jabareen clarified that "there will be other protest steps, including holding Friday prayers in front of the house, in addition to other actions we will announce later, but we will continue the struggle and will not allow the demolition of the building".

Political activist Amjad Kiwan from Um El Fahm told "Arab 48" that "we stand in solidarity with the Suleiman Fahmawi family against the demolition orders threatening their home. The most important point in this struggle is the popular struggle, due to our lack of justice from the Israeli judiciary and courts. The current struggle is a popular one, and we stand by the owner of the house to prevent the demolition".

He added that "the threat of demolition looms over dozens of homes in the city of Um El Fahm and the Wadi Ara area, so it is necessary for us to stand as one to prevent the current demolition orders and to stop future demolition orders".