Illegal structures in Silwan multiply by ten in last 43 yrs

State Comptroller report says number has risen to 130 since 1967; 1,000 structures built without permits in east J'lem each year.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
311_Silwan houses (photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
311_Silwan houses
(photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
The number of illegal structures in Silwan rose from 13 to 130 in 43 years, said the State Comptroller in a report released on Wednesday.
The report, on illegal construction in east Jerusalem, said that between 1967 and 1995 the number had risen from 13 to 30, and jumped further to 130 last year.
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Further, every year there are 1,000 illegal structures built in the center of the city. A very low number of illegal structures have been demolished, and most of these have since been rebuilt without permits.
Jerusalem Municipality responded to the report's release, saying that it highlighted a lack of law enforcement over several decades.
The State Comptroller,  Micha Lindenstrauss, noted that the illegal building was the source of friction between residents and authorities, and that an improvement in the enforcement area would be of great benefit.
There are hundreds of demolition orders against houses in Silwan, including 22 houses that are slated to be demolished to make way for Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat’s controversial Gan Hamelech plan, which will turn a builtup residential part of Silwan into an archeological park and public green space.
Melanie Lidman contributed to this report.