punitive home demolitions

Israeli soldiers near the house of Baraa Ibrahim Sale after it was demolished by the Israeli army in the West Bank village of Deir Abu Mashal, near Ramallah, August 10, 2017. Baraa Ibrahim Sale carried out a terror attack with two other Palestinians, killing Border Police officer Hadas Malkam. (Flash90)

How did revenge become a military objective?

When Israeli military commanders call bereaved families from the field to confirm they’ve gunned down their child’s accused killer, security considerations are not at play — that’s just an army exacting revenge. There is something almost spellbinding about the speed with which the Israeli government is tearing off the masks that once afforded its policies…

By Orly Noy December 17, 2018

And Israel border policeman outside the Abu Khdeir home in Shuafat, East Jerusalem Sept. 7, 2014 (Photo: Tamar Fleishman)

Yes, Israel does differentiate between Jewish and Palestinian terror

When Palestinians demand their attackers receive the same punishments as those who target Jews, the pretense of equal treatment before the law slips away. Some of Israel’s most hardline politicians are fond of saying that they don’t differentiate between terror attacks perpetrated by Jews and Palestinians. In the wake of the Duma arson that killed three…

By Natasha Roth-Rowland September 14, 2016

Israeli security forces line up in a street in Shuafat refugee camp during a home demolition, East Jerusalem, December 2, 2015.

This is how many Israeli cops it takes to demolish a Palestinian home

Around 1,200 members of the Israeli security forces entered Shuafat refugee camp in East Jerusalem on Wednesday morning to oversee the demolition of the home of Ibrahim al-Akri, who killed two Israelis in Jerusalem last year. Approximately 1,200 members of the Israeli security forces entered Shuafat refugee Camp in East Jerusalem Wednesday morning to demolish the…

By Natasha Roth-Rowland December 2, 2015

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Israeli Border Police search a Palestinian man near Damascus Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem, October 23, 2015. Many new checkpoints have been set up in East Jerusalem's Palestinian neighborhoods in the wake of a spate of stabbings in the city. Jerusalem, October 23, 2015. (Anne Paq/Activestills)

A life of constant fear for Jerusalem Palestinians

From checkpoints and soldiers to the fate of our children, fear is everywhere in East Jerusalem these days. By Fuad Abu Hamed Friends, I want to tell you about what is happening to us in East Jerusalem. Even today, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Jerusalem live a life of fear. This kind of situation is…

By +972 Magazine October 29, 2015

A sign at the entrance of the unrecognized Bedouin village of Alsira warns of home demolitions. Villagers had the sign made. June 19, 2014. (Photo by Michael Omer-Man)

[VID] Street talk: What do you think about home demolitions?

Whenever there is a terrorist attack in Israel, somebody on the political level starts talking about demolishing the terrorist family’s home as punishment and deterrence. Social TV hit the streets of Tel Aviv and asked the public what they think, and put that against Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions chairman Jeff Halper. More on punitive…

By Social TV January 23, 2015

Family members of Abdel Rahman Al-Shaludi, a Palestinian who drove his car into passengers at a rail station causing the death of two Israelis last month in Jerusalem, inspect his destroyed apartment in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Silwan, November, 19, 2014. The previous night, Israeli army and police destroyed the apartment of Al-Shaludi, as the Israeli government ordered the demolition of homes of Palestinians who carry out attacks against Israelis. (photo: Activestills.org)

Rights groups to Israel’s top court: Home demolitions are collective punishment

Within the legal community, Israel’s High Court and the state attorneys are isolated and alone in thinking that home demolitions are an acceptable practice, the petitioners argue. No date is set for a decision in the case. Demolishing the homes of suspected — or convicted — Palestinian terrorists amounts to collective punishment that in some…

By Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man December 3, 2014

Family members of Abed al-Rahman Shaloudi, who murdered two people including a small baby, stand in their apartment that Israeli authorities demolished as part of a return to punitive home demolitions, Silwan, East Jerusalem, November 19, 2014. (Photo by Oren Ziv/Activestills.org)

Punitive home demolitions are racist — and just plain wrong

Law abiding societies do not exact punishment on uninvolved parties. And it certainly doesn’t look good when the families of Palestinian terrorists are harmed while the homes of Jewish terrorists are left standing. One such punitive demolition leaves nine innocent people homeless Wednesday morning. “Do not discriminate between blood and blood,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin…

By Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man November 19, 2014

An Israeli military bulldozer destroys part of the family home of Zakaria Al-Aqra, age 24, after he was killed by an army raid in the West Bank village of Qabalan, August 11, 2014.

PHOTOS: Israeli forces kill Palestinian and bulldoze his family house

In an overnight raid in the West Bank village of Qabalan, Israeli forces kill 24-year-old Palestinian Zakaria Al-Aqra and injure six others. They then bulldoze part of his family’s house. Photos and text by: Ahmad Al-Bazz/Activestills.org At about midnight on August 11, the Israeli army raided the West Bank village of Qabalan near Nablus. As…

By Activestills August 16, 2014

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives media statement regarding the kidnapping of the three teenagers. (photo: Avi Ohayon/GPO)

Israeli right demands punitive measures against Palestinians following abductees’ murder

Palestinian teenager killed in clashes in Jenin while Israeli Air Force strikes over 30 targets in Gaza. Hamas still denies involvement in the deadly kidnapping. In response to the murder of the three Israeli teenagers kidnapped two weeks ago, the Israeli Air Force struck 34 targets in Gaza Tuesday night, while four rockets were fired into…

By Edo Konrad July 1, 2014

House demolition in Anata, Northern Jerusalem, April 14, 2008 (Photo: Meged Gozani/Activestills.org)

The return of punitive home demolitions

Israel orders the demolition of the family home of a man who has only been charged, and not convicted, of murder. A government official says the policy is being reinstated to ‘level the playing field’ with Palestinians, while human rights groups say the practice only harms innocents. The Israeli government announced that it will return…

By Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man June 24, 2014