The Jerusalem municipality postponed its plan Monday to serve eviction notices to residents of Beit Yehonatan, the Jewish-owned building in the eastern Jerusalem neighborhood of Shiloach (Silwan). The change of plan came about after police recommended not to go ahead with the serving of the eviction notices. The municipality's plan called for serving eviction notices to additional structures in eastern Jerusalem, which are occupied by Arabs, at the same time that the eviction notice to Beit Yehonatan is served. This, in keeping with Mayor Nir Barkat's position that if an illegal Jewish building is sealed, in accordance with State Prosecution demands, the same must apply for some 200 illegal Arab structures. Barkat's strategy apparently proved successful, as the police realized that the plan was unworkable. There were unconfirmed reports Monday that hundreds and perhaps thousands of supporters of Jewish resettlement of Jerusalem were in the vicinity of Beit Yehonatan and were preparing to protest the eviction notice. Residents of Beit Yehonatan insisted that their protest would be carried out nonviolently. MK Michael Ben-Ari (National Union), together with Baruch Marzel and Itamar Ben-Gvir, arrived at the building on Monday morning. "If the police and municipality do not enforce the law and issue demolition notices for the illegal Arab buildings," Ben-Ari said, "we will organize a protest march through Silwan." Israeli courts have issued repeated orders for the eviction and sealing of Beit Yehonatan, a five-and-a-half story Jewish-owned building in a largely Arab neighborhood to the south of the Temple Mount. In addition, the Deputy State Prosecutor wrote a letter last week to Mayor Barkat, demanding immediate compliance with the orders. The Jerusalem Municipality said that it would carry out the order unwillingly, and insisted that about 200 illegally built Arab structures in the area also be demolished.
