Description

Photos: Published by Haaretz
The demolition of a house in the Negev, August. Credit: Eliahu Hershkovitz

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Construction and Housing Minister Yitzchak Goldknopf observe the demolition of Bedouin homes in Tel Arad, 2023.
______

'It was completely clear that he meant demolitions in the Arab community,' says one source of the directive by Israel's national security minister, who lacks the legal authority to determine demolition policy

by Josh Breiner for Haaretz
Jan 9, 2025 8:06 pm IST

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has intervened in the police's demolition of illegally constructed buildings, ordering top officers to prioritize the demolition of homes where families reside, according to several sources.

Ben-Gvir does not have the legal authority to set the police's policy on demolitions, which is held by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara in coordination with different enforcement agencies.

The sources said that at several private meetings with representatives of different enforcement agencies, Ben-Gvir ordered commanders in the police's national enforcement unit, which is responsible for the actual demolitions, to destroy buildings housing families.

According to the sources, Ben-Gvir said the objective of the demolitions was to "demonstrate governance and increase deterrence." One source said the minister added, "The best deterrent is evicting a family from its home."

The sources also said Ben-Gvir demanded that the government demolish illegal buildings, in contrast to the current prevailing practice of having the buildings demolished by their builders, which saves resources and purportedly increases deterrence.

"When the minister said to prioritize populated buildings, it was completely clear that he meant demolitions in the Arab community," said one source. "Ben-Gvir is seeking provocation and chaos; that's what interests him."

Senior police officers confirmed that in private meetings, Ben-Gvir demanded that populated buildings be demolished, even though they are often not considered to have high priority – and some of the buildings could potentially be regulated or demolished by their owners.

Currently, enforcement policy considers factors such as the severity of the construction violation, the building's location and the extent of its disruption without factoring in occupancy. Ben-Gvir's directive to introduce occupancy as a criterion reached senior Justice Ministry officials, who urged the police to assert their independence. "Ben-Gvir is acting like a 'super-commissioner,'" one official remarked, "but he doesn't have the authority to decide demolition priorities."

Nevertheless, police are increasingly working to accommodate Ben-Gvir's desire to demolish buildings in Arab communities. A senior officer even proposed extending the national enforcement unit's jurisdiction to include demolitions of Palestinian structures beyond the pre-1967 border between Israel and the West Bank, though this proposal was ultimately shelved.

While State Prosecutor Amit Aisman and the Baharav-Miara have been informed of Ben-Gvir's interference, they appear to have not yet addressed the matter with him. According to sources, Ben-Gvir continues to issue directives to officers regarding building demolitions.

Haaretz recently reported that Ben-Gvir had intervened in Bnei Brak's building enforcement policy, attempting to prevent the execution of demolition orders issued for dozens of illegally constructed synagogues. These structures, built in violation of the law, posed safety risks to worshipers, relied on unauthorized power connections and encroached on public spaces.

"There's no scenario in which mosques are protected while synagogues are demolished," Ben-Gvir said at the time. Despite his intervention, several synagogue owners in Bnei Brak carried out the demolitions this week following the issued orders.

Ben-Gvir's office did not respond to a request for comment.

Features