US embassy cable - 03AMMAN6502

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 006502 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/08/2013 
TAGS: KISL, KPAL, IS, PGOV, JO 
SUBJECT: GOJ DEMOLITION ORDER IN PALESTINIAN REFUGEE CAMP 
SPARKS DEBATE 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Edward W. Gnehm for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d) 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  (C)  A plan to demolish homes of more than 500 families 
to widen a congested main thoroughfare in Jordan's 
second-largest Palestinian refugee camp has spawned 
controversy.  Amman city authorities say the demolition is 
part of a larger plan to rehabilitate the camp's 
infrastructure, and they plan to either compensate families 
on a case-by-case basis, relocate families to another 
predominantly Palestinian area of Amman, or allow limited 
expansion of existing structures in the crowded camp. 
However, the government insists that no one will be forcibly 
evicted.  Although many camp residents recognize the need to 
renovate the area, others say the municipality's compensation 
is not sufficient to secure adequate alternative housing. The 
Department of Palestinian Affairs agrees, and is pushing the 
Amman municipality to ensure fair compensation.  The Islamic 
Action Front (IAF) has taken a leading role in advocating for 
those opposed to the demolition order.  Given the current 
Palestinian-Israeli tensions and unavoidable--if 
unfair--comparisons to Israel's home demolition policy, the 
GOJ is anxious to resolve the issue, in part to avoid giving 
the IAF political ammunition against the government.  End 
Summary. 
 
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CITY OFFICIALS DEFEND DEMOLITION ORDER IN FACE OF COMPLAINTS 
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2.  (U)  Greater Amman Municipality's plan to demolish 
structures housing more than 500 families along a crowded 
street in Amman's al-Wihdat Palestinian refugee camp has 
generated complaints from some affected residents.  According 
to former MP and camp resident Muhammad al-Kouz, some say 
that the compensation package to vacate their homes is 
insufficient.  Others do not want to leave for personal and 
ideological reasons, noting that al-Wihdat has been their 
home since fleeing Palestine more than 40 years ago.  Some 
oppose leaving the camp -- even if it means a better 
situation for their families -- because they believe their 
continued physical presence in the camp will ensure the world 
will not forget about the Palestinian refugees' plight. 
 
3.  (U)  Amman Mayor Nidal Hadid publicly defended the 
decision as part of a larger plan to rehabilitate the area 
and improve the welfare of camp residents.  He said in a 
press interview that the homes marked for demolition were 
built illegally and have encroached on municipality property. 
 However, the mayor noted that the municipality intended to 
compensate the residents -- despite the fact that squatters 
on state-owned land are not entitled to any compensation 
according to the law.  No family will be forcibly removed, he 
said, and each case will be considered individually to assess 
appropriate compensation.  Press reports on October 8 
indicated that the city will not proceed with the demolition 
until a designated committee completes its evaluation of the 
land value and related compensation packages offered to 
residents. 
 
4.  (U)  Camp Mukhtar Abu al-Abed acknowledged that his 
neighbors are of two minds about the intended demolitions. 
Some residents -- including shop owners who believe their 
businesses would receive a boost from the renovation project 
-- support the plan.  Others, particularly renters and 
long-time residents, are vehemently opposed and have appealed 
to the government for help.  Camp resident Khalil Jarhad told 
poloff he pays 30JD a month in rent for his family of 12, and 
fears the compensation will be insufficient to pay the much 
higher rent rates outside the camp.  Another long-time 
resident derided the municipality's offer to her family of 
JD12,000 to move, saying that amount was insufficient to move 
her family of 20 to another part of Amman, according to a 
news story on the issue. 
 
5.  (U)  Some residents reject Hadid's argument that their 
homes were built illegally, saying most were erected more 
than 20 years ago, with no changes of their status taking 
place recently.  Some have appealed to the government for 
help.  "We have sent petitions to Prime Minister Ali Abul 
Ragheb to halt the decision.  We believe the King will 
understand our position and hold up our rights," said camp 
resident Ali Mohammed Taha, in a press interview. 
 
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GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WORKING TO RESOLVE ISSUE 
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6.  (C)  Director General of Palestinian Affairs Abdulkarim 
Abulhaija told us that the heart of the conflict centers on 
the poor compensation packages the city is offering to 
affected families.  He says that if the municipality had 
offered fair compensation from the beginning, the planned 
demolitions would not have become an issue.  He said he has 
held several meetings with municipality officials about this 
issue and is pressuring them to ensure they are compensating 
the residents adequately.  Abdulhaija notes that there is 
sufficient money in the budget, but some officials within the 
municipality oppose allocating more funds to the refugee 
population.  He says the discussions will continue and the 
demolitions will not begin until the issue of compensation is 
resolved to everyone's satisfaction. 
 
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IAF: MAKING POLITICAL HAY OF THE DEMOLITION ORDER 
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7.  (U)  The IAF has taken up the cause of unhappy camp 
residents. Twenty members of Parliament, led by IAF deputies, 
sent a letter to the government in mid-September demanding 
that the demolitions be stopped.  IAF MP Tayseer al-Fityani 
hosted a meeting with camp residents and members at the IAF's 
headquarters in al-Wihdat Camp on September 26 to discuss 
three options open to affected residents: financial 
compensation to vacate; relocation to homes located on 
government-owned property in the predominantly Palestinian 
areas of Marka; and the availability of permits to expand 
certain existing structures in al-Wihdat camp. 
 
8.  (C)  The IAF, which claims Palestinian refugees among its 
core constituencies, says it is trying to play a mediating 
role between the al-Wihdat residents and the government. 
However, al-Kouz says the IAF deputies are using the 
situation as an opportunity to criticize the government and 
thus gain political advantage.   Mukhtar Abu al-Abed noted 
that it is an extremely sensitive political issue given the 
natural tendency to compare the Amman demolition order to 
Israel's controversial home demolition policy in the West 
Bank and Gaza Strip, even though in reality, the situations 
are completely different.  Abdulhaija agreed, saying the 
government is committed to resolving this issue fairly and 
quickly in order to avoid such comparisons and increasing 
tensions within the camp. 
 
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COMMENT 
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9.  (C)   Abdulhaija seems confident that no demolitions will 
take place until the city reaches agreement over the 
compensation packages.  However, it is unclear how the GOJ 
will deal with those individuals who oppose vacating on 
ideological and personal grounds.  Building upon existing 
structures might be appealing to some, but given the crowded 
conditions of the camp, permits to pursue this route probably 
will be few. 
 
10.  (C)  Controversy over the issue comes at a sensitive 
time for the GOJ, as critics invariably will draw parallels 
between the city's plans and Israel's controversial practice 
of demolishing homes in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.  The 
GOJ will try to resolve the matter quickly in order to avoid 
providing fodder for the political opposition,  particularly 
the IAF.  Continued media coverage also highlights the dismal 
conditions of Palestinians refugees in the camps, something 
that is rarely discussed in Jordanian circles. 
 
11.  (C)  Al-Wihdat Refugee Camp, situated in eastern Amman, 
was first established in 1955 to host 5,000 Palestinian 
refugees.  Today, more than 50,000 people live in the camp, 
making it the second largest in Jordan after al-Baqa'a 
Refugee Camp.  Over the years al-Wihdat has been incorporated 
into the city as its temporary housing shelters have given 
way to permanent structures, bustling marketplaces, and 
infrastructure development, including plumbing.  As such, 
al-Wihdat is virtually indistinguishable as a "camp" separate 
from the rest of Amman's population. 
 
 Visit Embassy Amman's classified website at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/ or access the site 
through the State Department's SIPRNET home page. 
GNEHM