Last update - 00:00 12/06/2007
At least six hurt in clashes over house demolition in Ramle
By Roni Singer Heruti and Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondents
At least six people were wounded on Tuesday in clashes between police and residents of the Jawarish neighborhood in Ramle. The clashes broke out during an operation to demolish an illegally constructed house in the neighborhood.
Police stated that four officers were lightly wounded by rock-throwers during the clashes, with one suffering a concussion from his injuries. Two local women were also lightly wounded, after they fell while being evacuated from the house slated for demolition.
Sources from the Ramle municipality said that 15 people were injured in the clashes.
The building in question was slated for demolition by the Israel Lands Authority about a year and a half ago. A petition against the demolition submitted by the homeowner was denied recently, clearing the way for the building to be destroyed.
Tuesday morning, representatives of the Lands Authority arrived at the building accompanied by hundreds of policemen.
The homeowner had placed mounds of sand around the building, and surrounded the structure with trucks in an attempt to prevent the demolition.
A large group of people was holed up in the house, as well as a number of cows and donkeys. A veterinarian was summoned to the scene and examined the animals, which were then evacuated from the house by crane.
Police stated that neighborhood residents brought a large number of tires to the area around the building, possibly in order to light a blaze that would complicate the demolition.
The police arrested three family members of the homeowner, two for attacking police and one under suspicion that he placed threatening phone calls to mayor of Ramle Yoel Lavi.
Police sent photographers to record the operation in order to prevent future claims of police brutality.
"Sowing the seeds of hatred"
"It escapes me what could possibly be gained from this operation, other than the wholesale burial of Israeli democracy," stated MK Talab El-Sana (United Arab List) in regard to the demolition operation.
"They spent millions to deploy police and supplies to carry out this act of terror against citizens of the state. What will children think when they see the destruction?"
"This act will sow seeds of hatred in the public, and will leave one more family without a roof over their heads," El-Sana said.
El-Sana stated that the problem with the Jawarish neighborhood is that it doesn?t have an official building plan, even though there is a Jewish neighborhood currently under construction in the area with approved and final building plans.
El-Sana has turned to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in regard to the demolitions and the situation in the Jawarish neighborhood, but to no avail.