Jerusalem to wipe out homes

Trisha Butterworth
March, 6th.

Zoning Issues in Jerusalem

Mayor Nir Barkat of Jerusalem is planning to put a park in place of 88 buildings that are home to many. Hilary Clinton of the US is criticizing his plans saying he is going to wipe out all these families homes. Barkat’s reasoning is that the homes are not there under proper permits, and that the park will bring more tourists to the city giving it an up-boost. He feels that now the people in East Jerusalem are going to put hope into what Clinton has said, hoping that the administration will stop the plan. Some families have been in their homes for generation, saying that the improper permits were due to the government failing to issue them with all the growth. Barkat says that compensation or help relocating may be available for some residents, but he did also say that there is no guarantee those houses, will still be houses, and that it is wrong to send a mixed signal to those who broke the law.
I understand that some of these families broke the law in having their homes with out a permit, but if they have been there that long, how is it really a problem? I can’t believe that someone would actually want to jus get rid of homes and the families in them, hoping they would just move on and be okay. I also wonder if the US will actually have any impact or intervention with this plan for Jerusalem. These issues happen all the time all over the world, but when it hits the news, and US officials have something to say about it, then it must be pretty bad. I also wonder if the Mayor is the only one who has control over this plan, or if others are involved, and if anyone of them does not agree so much with it.