JERUSALEM (JTA) — The Jerusalem District Court blocked the demolition of Palestinian homes in an eastern Jerusalem neighborhood.
The court ruled Wednesday that 22 illegal homes in the al-Bustan neighborhood that are set for demolition to make way for a building, recreation and tourism plan called The King’s Garden cannot be razed until plans are approved for the park.
The plan would see the 22 Arab-built homes demolished and in exchange, the residents will receive permits to build new homes elsewhere in the neighborhood. Sixty-six other homes in the neighborhood would be legalized retroactively as well.
The approval process for the park is expected to take two years.
