Hundreds in Bnei Brak Block Demolition of Disabled Resident’s Illegal Home

A confrontation erupted in Bnei Brak on Rosh Chodesh Tammuz, as hundreds of residents blocked access on Ahavat Shalom Street to stop municipal inspectors from carrying out a demolition order against an illegally built apartment for a disabled resident. People stood in the road and used vehicles to prevent the city’s enforcement crews from reaching the site.

The apartment owner said he had repeatedly asked Bnei Brak municipality for permits for the home he needs for personal use, but, he claimed, he was ignored. “All the doors were closed to me,” he said, adding that he invested “money and blood” in the building and was willing then, as now, to legalize it. He also put up signs appealing for public help and describing the demolition as “extortion.”

Neighbors who had approved the construction because of his medical condition said they were furious that the city and police were acting now. One resident told Kikar HaShabbat that the move showed “selective enforcement,” asking why alleged burglars who robbed a jewelry shop and the shooters from the Krayot Herzog area had not been arrested, while authorities were focusing on a disabled man’s home.

The protest began with cars placed in the street the night before, and by morning hundreds were taking shifts to maintain the blockade. The dispute centers on whether the city will proceed with the demolition or respond to calls to delay it and allow a legal solution.