By Abdelraouf Arnaout
JERUSALEM (AA) - In the heart of Silwan in East Jerusalem, a longstanding defender of Palestinian homeowners, Fuad Abu Diab, has found himself ensnared in the plight he has fought against for years.
Crew from the Israeli-run West Jerusalem municipality, accompanied by police, arrived Wednesday at Abu Diab's home in the Al-Bustan neighborhood, south of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, to begin demolishing the building.
"They immediately began forcibly evicting us from our homes savagely and attempted to assault me and my family,'' according to Abu Diab, who said he has been living with his family in the house for 35 years and that the demolition order was issued 15 years ago.
"The house is small, about 120 square meters (1,292 feet), yet they decided to demolish it and displace the family,'' he told Anadolu.
The Israeli municipality in Jerusalem did not comment on the demolition but Abu Diab said it was for political and retaliatory reasons.
''They razed the house because I am an advocate for homeowners facing demolition threats, so they want revenge,'' Abu Diab said.
Silwan is frequently the target of demolition orders issued under the pretext of "unlicensed construction."
There are concerns that the demolition of Abu Diab's house could be the beginning of the destruction of other homes in the neighborhood as Israel claims it wants to convert the area into a Jewish park.
Israeli settlers affirm that they want to convert Silwan into what they call a "City of David."
"They want to drive us away from Jerusalem, but we tell them that we are staying here even if they demolish our homes,'' said Abu Diab.
For decades, residents of the Al-Bustan neighborhood have attempted to obtain building permits from the Israeli municipality, but to no avail.
Palestinians stress that East Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine, while Israel maintains that the city, including its eastern and western parts, is its capital.
Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move never recognized by the international community.
*Writing by Mohammad Sio