Judge Greenbaum to Rule Soon: Will the Iranian Representative’s Illegal Jerusalem Home Be Demolished?

A recent investigation by HaKol HaYehudi has revealed that Judge Anat Greenbaum of the Jerusalem Local Affairs Court is expected to rule in the coming days on whether the home of Mufti Ekrima Sabri, a representative of the Iranian axis of evil in Jerusalem, will be demolished by the municipality and police.

Sabri is considered one of Israel's most high-profile Jihadist instigators. If he resided in Gaza or Lebanon, he would likely have been eliminated long ago by the Israeli Air Force. He collaborates with Iran and Hezbollah, delivering speeches on the Iranian al-Quds Day, in which he declared prior to Hamas’s massacre that “Zero hour is approaching.”

Sabri was a vocal supporter of suicide bombings during the Second Intifada, glorified martyrs (shahids), and called for jihad when paying condolence calls to the families of terrorists who had murdered Jews. 

He even eulogized Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on the Temple Mount after Haniyeh was eliminated in Iran. Following years of investigative efforts and findings by HaKol HaYehudi and following a petition by the Lavi organization to Israel’s Supreme Court, the Office of the State Attorney (the praklitut) recently filed a severe indictment against Sabri for incitement to terrorism.

Sabri’s Illegal Residence on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem

Sabri resides on the Mount of Olives (Har Hazeitim) in Jerusalem, not far from the neighborhood Beit Orot. He lives in an illegal 1,340-square-meter apartment building, constructed over 20 years ago as detailed in the legal case (File No. 252-07-04) opened in 2004, concerning the unlawful structure.

The State has repeatedly sought to demolish the building, but each time the matter has been delayed then canceled. In December 2023, the Enforcement Unit announced its intent to execute the demolition order amid Sabri’s continued incitement throughout the war, following the Hamas-led massacre in southern Israel.

Residents of the building petitioned the Jerusalem Local Affairs Court to freeze the demolition, citing various claims against the building’s developer, Abu Kweidar, who is no longer in the country. Sabri himself is notably absent from the petition, possibly to avoid having his name appear before the court, where it would likely provoke unfavorable sentiments, to say the least.

Video: New Campaign by Right-Wing Activists in Israel: Arrest the Terror-Inciting Mufti Ekrima Sabri

City Official Cited in Affidavits No Longer Employed by Municipality, Casting Doubt on Residents' Claims

Sabri’s fellow residents claimed that the building was set to be legalized as part of a master plan by the Jerusalem municipality for the A-Tur neighborhood. They hired architect Muhammad Abu Ghanam to prepare a detailed plan for the area and submitted affidavits to the court claiming that they were in communication with the Jerusalem municipality’s Planning and Building Department, even quoting and naming a specific official there.

However, the municipality opposed freezing the demolition, asserting no planning process was underway. Meanwhile, HaKol HaYehudi discovered that the named official supposedly in contact with the residents’ representative has not worked at the municipality for over five years. The municipality confirmed that there is no legalization process anticipated, noting that the building actually stands on public land and the petitioners do not own the property.

Despite the State Attorney’s opposition, and while relying on the residents’ affidavits which appear to be based on false information, Judge Anat Greenbaum of the Jerusalem Court of Local Affairs initially froze the demolition until April 2024 and later extended it to January 31, 2025–now less than two weeks away. 

The judge justified her decision by citing precedents in which the State agreed to postpone demolitions for an additional 12 months as an act of goodwill, though she stated she would not grant further extensions unless a building permit were to be issued. The judge stated that for reasons of “equality” she would extend the postponement until the end of January.

Sabri (top left) next to Nasrallah, Haniyeh, and other top Houthi and Iraqi officials associated with the Iranian axis of evil at the Iranian Al-Quds Day Conference

Will the Judge Protect the Iranian Representative’s House?

Time has passed, and no building permit for Sabri’s home appears forthcoming, nor does it seem legally feasible due to the house’s location.

A few days ago, the residents filed another petition to extend the freeze and postpone the demolition. The Jerusalem municipality firmly opposed, stating in its response: “In the absence of any real planning progress and with no building permit ‘within reach,’ the respondent opposes the petitioner’s request.”

It now remains to be seen whether Judge Anat Greenbaum will once again allow the terror-inciting mufti and his neighbors to continue flaunting the law, or whether she will finally permit the State to take basic, well-founded legal action against someone who openly seeks its destruction.