January 2002

The residents of Al-Aisaweyah wake up on the morning of  January 14^th ,2002 at the noisy sound of huge bulldozers and more than 500 security men surrounding the village from all its entrances.  They started demolishing 9 houses composed of 13 apartments belonging to 13 families totaling 78 people more than half of them are children.

Al-Asawiyah is a victimized town by occupation:

Al-Aisawiyah town is located northeast of Jerusalem.  Its area during the British mandate was 12,000 dunums (1200 ha) and was populated by 1,800 people.  Although many of its inhabitants immigrated as a result of wars, political and economic harsh circumstances, it is currently populated by 9,000 people.  However, their remaining land is estimated at 666 dunums that is composing the master plan of the town.  The area devoted to construction does not exceed 350 dunums; therefore, the population density of this Arabian quarter is 3 persons/m².  In addition to that, the construction system is very old and is not renewed on scientific basis to avoid the consequences of property fragmentation and absorb the population increase.  For example, the vertical extension in construction is not allowed and land settlement and registration is standstill due to Israeli Occupation (IO).  Also, the lack of interest from Jerusalem Municipality to find solutions for housing problem in this crowded quarter that resembles the refugee camps is evident.

Israeli Occupation violations against Al-Aisawiyah: 

After the Israeli occupation in 1967 and the annexation of Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty,  Al-Aisawiyah was one of 28 villages and hamlet of Jerusalem metropolitan that is transformed to full Israeli sovereignty.  Since then the ethnic cleansing chain has started and represented in the following:

1. The confiscation of 800 dunums from the land of Al-Aisawiyah for the interest of Hebrew University and Hadassah Hospital bordering the town from the west and the south.
2.  Establishing a military camp on an overlaying hill southeast of Al-Aisawiyah.
3. The confiscation of 600 dunums for the interest of Giva’t Shabira Colony at the western part of the town.
4. The confiscation of 8000 dunums at the eastern and northern part of the town and considering it as a state land.  Their owners are prevented from its utilization either in building or agriculture.
5. The closure and consideration of 2000 dunums as a green land which means, as usually known, that building on this land is forbidden.  The ex-mayor of Jerusalem, Tedie Colik, considered this land as a strategic reserve for Jewish colonial activities.
6. Construction of a bypass colonial road passing from the northern and eastern part of the town at the expense of Al-Aisawiyah land.  This road surrounded and suppressed the building land and imposes a buffer zone of 75 m width to the downtown direction.
7. In 1990, Al-Aisawiyah Development Committee submitted an appeal to Jerusalem Municipality asking for the extension of the town master plan.  Mrs. Sarah Kaminikar , an ex municipality council member at Jerusalem Municipality and urbanist, helped them in this appeal.  However, Jerusalem Municipality rejected completely this appeal in 1995.
8. Since 1985, 34 cases of populated houses demolishing have been monitored and documented, in addition to three houses were under construction.  Also, six populated barracks due to harsh economic situation were demolished in addition to 23 tents populated by residents of Al-Aisawiyah.

Al-Aisawiyah is a model for the policy of racism and ethnic cleansing:

The indications for the Israeli policy of racism and ethnic cleansing at Al-Aisawiyah are obviously seen.  Of the evidences are the following: 

1. The limitation of the master plan to the same status before 1967.
2. Bypassing the Isareli law itself by preventing the Palestinians living in Jerusalem from utilizing his legal right to object the demolishing of his house at the proper time.   For example, the employees of Jerusalem Municipality submitted the demolishing orders at 22:30 o’clock at night on Saturday dated 12/1/2002 and offer a truce of 24 hours.  They stocked the orders at the walls on a cold night and late hour.   Therefore, most of the house owners were not informed about these demolishing orders until the bulldozers and excavators started implementing this nasty work.
3. Closing the town and preventing the peaceful marshes and protesters from reaching the site.  
4. Arresting, hitting and detaining most of the house owners available at the site in a brutal way preventing them from expressing their anger and sadness.

Demolishing in Jerusalem during 2001: 

As a consequence, 90 families totaling about 540 persons, 60 % of whom were children, were evacuated and becoming homeless.

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