Civil Authority Demolishes EU-Funded Illegal Arab Structures

The Civil Authority has demolished several buildings that were constructed right outside the security fence of the town of Carmel, in the Chevron Hills. The buildings were constructed with monies contributed by the European Union and leftist groups, say officials in Carmel and of the Regavim organization, who pushed for the demolition.

The structures were built by residents of the village of Um al-Hir, which borders Carmel. They were built without permits on agricultural land that had previously been used for crops. The purpose of the construction was apparently to expand the village in an attempt to take control of neighboring land that was not part of it in the past.

This was the second time Arabs tried to build structures outside Carmel. According to Yochai Damri, chairman of the council, the four buildings are just the tip of the iceberg. “Not far from here, the Palestinian Authority is building a whole city of illegal structures on state land, and the state does nothing. There cannot be selective enforcement of building permits, allowing them to build what they want but immediately demolishing structures built by Jews. Each trailer, each pipe we build is evaluated to the full extent of the law, in the strictest way possible, while just a few meters from us building goes on without regard for the law.”