Demand Tel-Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai stop actions against the homeless in OccupyTLV camp!

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Joseph Zernik, PhD

Human Rights Alert (NGO)

OccupyTLV

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LINKS:

[1] 2014-10-04 Request, forwarded to Tel-Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai, for reconsideration of actions against the homeless in the OccupyTLV camp

https://www.scribd.com/doc/241898292/

[2] 2014-10-01 Israeli Association for Civil Rights' Hebrew online petition site: "Delay the eviction, move the wall"

http://actionaday.org.il/2014/10/02/stopevacuationarl/

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October 04, 2014

Tel-Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai

By email: 

RE: Request for reconsideration of actions against the homeless in the OccupyTLV camp.

Your response within 7 days is kindly requested. Time is of the essence

Dear Mayor Huldai:

Joining celebrated author Sami Michael and the Israeli Association for Civil Rights, [1] and following recent communications between the Association and the municipality, [2,3] and between the municipality and me, [4] in my capacity as signer of the ongoing permit for the OccupyTLV camp, I request reconsideration of actions against the homeless in the OccupyTLV camp, announced by the municipality on September 15, 2014. [5]

In addition to the Association's Hebrew online petition, [6] an international English petition site has been launched today. Current actions by the Tel-Aviv municipality against the poor and the homeless are inconsistent with its ongoing, costly campaigns to "brand" itself as a friendly, hospitable, international party city...

Generally, conduct of the municipality appears arbitrary and capricious, and it is likely to create even less reasonable living conditions for those of the underprivileged persons who stay. Other, will be driven from the only shelter available to them in Tel-Aviv, unreasonable as it is, to the streets, where they would create unnecessary disturbance for other city residents and would likely face daily confrontations with municipality enforcement personnel.

Specifically:

a) Requesting extension of time before any action

It is unlikely that the vast majority of the residents of the camp would find any reasonable shelter within the remaining two weeks, overlapping the Jewish holidays. Most residents of the camp fail to qualify for any housing solutions under current Tel-Aviv and Israeli government policies. Such policies effectively dismantled public housing in Israel over the past two decades. The only option remaining for most persons here today is unreasonable - "Gagon" - a shelter, where they are locked out most of the day, and locked in at night. It is also unlikely that there is a real urgency in starting the municipality's actions on October 19, 2014.

b) Requesting expansion of the unreasonably restricted walled area

- The walled area is unreasonable for accommodating even a portion of the people now living in the camp, let alone basic sanitation facilities, which were central to the November 2012 agreement, which established the camp. The walled area is insufficient even for a decent water socket, or the toilets and showers, which were donated and built by Bezalel Art School students for the camp dwellers. The 2013 public health report for the camp, shows deplorable levels of morbidity and mortality. [7]

- The Municipality's flyers, and letters to the Association and to me state that the walled area spans to 4.5 Dunams. [3-5] Such figures are inconsistent with the estimate of a professional, who reviewed the map. Early this week surveyors were here again to measure the area. I request access to the data of the latest survey.

- The justification for the drastic restriction of the walled area in immediate development needs appears unfounded, at least in part. For example, review of the development plans shows that the large, old ficus tree, under which a group of people including myself live, is explicitly excluded, and designated for preservation. Regardless, the same area was left outside the wall.

- It is gradually becoming clear that the application of the current measures will again be arbitrary and capricious: As was the case all along, the municipality's harsh treatment of the homeless would not be applied to "State Persons" (a term used by city personnel in the past to explain why certain persons, who evidently were sent to the camp by security authorities, were exempt from enforcement), and security authorities implants. Such differential enforcement undermines the claims that the draconian restriction of the walled area was based on true development needs.

c) Requesting decent conduct by the authorities

Comment in the Municipality's letter to the Association, regarding "disturbing phenomena", [3] calls for a response. Central to my mission here over the past two years is discovering, archiving and distributing information, regarding Human Rights abuses. The key documents are all available online, [8] showing, for example, that:

- The Tel-Aviv municipality distributed last year flyers, which it falsely represented to the homeless and uneducated as "Eviction Decrees", and likewise planted false news to the same effect in Israeli media, then, in cooperation with the Israel Police enforced the non-existent "Decrees".

- The Tel-Aviv municipality refused for months to perform routine sidewalk garbage collection from the camp's side of the street, while routine garbage collection continued on the other side of the street.

- The agreement, which establishment the camp, included the maintenance of normative city park sanitary facilities, per municipality ordinances. In contrast, the municipality created here through a contractor, who was paid undisclosed moneys, facilities, which are in violation of any reasonable standard, let alone the law, and which should be considered a serious health hazard. Such conditions were corrected only through the generosity of Bezalel students, who built and donated facilities, which should be included in the remaining area of the camp.

- Perhaps the most revolting phenomena involve the conduct of security authorities implants, establishing a violent and insecure environment, and the denial of equal protection under the law. [9-11] In some such phenomena the municipality was at least a silent partner...

I look forward to your response, and hope that you reconsider the currently planned unreasonable actions against underprivileged, homeless persons in Tel-Aviv.

Truly,

Joseph Zernik, PhD

Human Rights Alert (NGO)

OccupyTLV

CC:

Israeli Association for Civil Rights, international persons of interest, activists, City Council, Members of Knesset

LINKS:

[1] 2014-10-01 Israeli Association for Civil Rights and its President, celebrated author Sami Michael launched a campaign in support of the homeless, living in the OccupyTLV camp

https://www.scribd.com/doc/241742433/

[2] 2014-09-21 Israeli Civil Rights Association letter to the Tel-Aviv Municipality, in response to the planned eviction of OccupyTLV camp.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/240799549/

[3] 2014-09-29 Response letter by Tel-Aviv Municipality to the Israeli Civil Rights Association letter, in re: Restrictions on OccupyTLV camp.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/241318469/

[4] 2014-10-01 OccupyTLV: Tel-Aviv Muni Extension for October 2014

https://www.scribd.com/doc/241735980/

[5] 2014-09-15 Flyers, distributed by Tel Aviv Municipality, showing the restriction of the OccupyTLV camp.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/240362945/

[6] 2014-10-01 Israeli Association for Civil Rights' Hebrew online petition site: "Delay the eviction, move the wall"

http://actionaday.org.il/2014/10/02/stopevacuationarl/

[7] 2014-01-20 OccupyTLV: Cumulative Health data (2013) submitted to Architect Sharon Rotbard (full English translation)

http://www.scribd.com/doc/200902498/

[8] 0000-00-00 OccupyTLV: Index of Records and Links (full English translation)

http://www.scribd.com/doc/220619128/

[9] 2005-11-04 State of Israel v Uriel Benveniste (10321/05) in the Supreme Court - Decision

http://www.scribd.com/doc/227774087/

[10] 2014-04-25 OccupyTLV: Israel Police in action – recording of phone call of Israel Police intelligence officer, assigned to the Israeli Protest Movement, and a policeman on the ground during a serous violent incident, involving Mr Uriel Benveniste - former Israel Police and a convicted felon on serious violent crimes (full English translation)

http://youtu.be/Ry3nOvqpcWg

[11] 2014-05-23 OccupyTLV: Repeat request, forwarded to Tel Aviv Police Commander Benzi Sau, for immediate and permanent removal of Mr Uriel Benveniste from the OccupyTLV camp

http://www.scribd.com/doc/225751520/