Destroyed Jewish home in Judea
Destroyed Jewish home in JudeaIsrael News Photo: file

A new report from the IDF's Civilian Administration shows that of 293 illegally built structures owned by Jews in Judea and Samaria in 2008, 36 percent or 105 were destroyed. However, of 646 Palestinian Authority Arab-owned structures illegally built on Jewish-owned or state-owned land in Judea and Samaria, only 17 percent or 111 were destroyed. The figures were leaked to the Hebrew-language daily Maariv.

In essence, the report showed the Israeli officials are more than twice as likely to enforce building laws by demolishing buildings when those accused of illegal building are Jewish, rather than Arab.

MK Uri Ariel of Ichud Leumi, who follows the activities of the Civilian Administration, said he was unsurprised by the report. “Sticking our heads in the sand and ignoring illegal Palestinian building is going to get us in big trouble,” he warned.

Ariel accused the extreme political left of discriminating against Jews while claiming to act in the name of justice. “The High Court's decisions allowing the eviction of Jews are not just at all, but rather are discriminatory and are used only against Jews,” he said.

He called on the government to take note of the results of the previous government's policy regarding illegal building, and to change that policy immediately. The government must start applying the law equally in all sectors, he said.

MK Michael Ben-Ari, also a member of Ichud Leumi, called for the immediate suspension of the head of the Civilian Administration and an official investigation of the apparently discrimination in law enforcement.

The Ichud Leumi has set a goal of fighting institutionalized discrimination against Jews in Judea and Samaria. Next week, the party will meet to discuss the issue of discrimination in the fields of law enforcement, policing, budgets, and the provision of various services.

The Binyamin regional council reacted to the report on Thursday, saying, “The true face of the Defense Minister has finally been revealed. The entire system of law enforcement in Judea and Samaria, as run by commander Ehud Barak, plays an active role in harming Jewish settlement. The policy of the extreme left has taken hold of the Civilian Administration.”