In the wake of the Shin Bet announcement regarding the arrest of the Kafr Aqab terror cell, the Regavim movement is demanding the demolition of an illegal building whose external walls serve as part of the security fence.
In an urgent appeal to Defense Minister Israel Katz, the Jerusalem Municipality, and the Land Enforcement Authority, Regavim claims that the building was constructed directly on the security fence line and is calling for a criminal investigation against those who carried out the construction and for them to be prosecuted.
According to Regavim, over the past decade, more than 800 illegal structures have been built in Kafr Aqab, adding approximately 20,000 housing units without any supervision. They also noted that over the years, numerous terror attacks were carried out from the neighborhood by residents holding Israeli identification.
Last January, as part of the last hostage deal, the terrorist Zagir Ashraf, a senior Hamas operative sentenced to six life terms, was released into the neighborhood. Upon his release, a provocative parade took place involving local residents, causing widespread outrage among the public in Jerusalem.
Yehuda Noam, Regavim’s Jerusalem coordinator, said: “The building constructed on the security fence, whose external walls are the fence itself, makes a joke out of the security of the State of Israel. A simple jump from the room’s window—and the infiltrators pass to the other side. The escape behind the fence has led to complete lawlessness for what happens beyond it and has sparked unprecedented illegal construction. Neglect by state authorities has escalated into an immediate strategic and security threat, and shooting drills from the rooftops of these buildings are probably the last warning sign. We have approached the authorities and will continue to monitor and fight for the security of Israel’s capital.”