Demolishing Hijazi's family home would be 'doubly illegal'

Jeff Halper, co-founder and Director of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, spoke to MEE after reports emerged that Israeli authorities intend to demolish the house of Mu'taz Hijazi tomorrow.

"Israel stopped punitive demolitions in 2005 because the army itself decided that they are counter-productive and simply inflame the situation. The reappearance of punitive demolitions like this is simply atavistic revenge: it is entirely primitive, and there is no rationale for it.

"It will not contribute to calming the situation – and of course it is illegal under both international and Israeli law. It is doubly illegal because Mu’taz Hijazi was denied due process of law; he was not tried or brought before a court. To demolish his house after this would be collective punishment. You demolish the home of innocent people, when he himself could have been innocent – he was never charged."

If Hijazi's house is demolished, Halper said, he does not expect an immediate blow-back.

"It will just add to the resentment, the hatred and the alienation between the two peoples. It is part of a process of repression – they are supressing Palestinians instead of trying to find a political solution. In my view, it signals the end of any attempt to resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict."