Settlers push to evict two more East Jerusalem families

[Violet_Crumble]

Settler groups are pushing to evict two more Palestinian families from their homes in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, part of a wider program to demolish Palestinian homes in the area to make way for 200 housing units designated solely for Jews.

Over the past six months, Sheikh Jarrah has become a focus of leftist protest and a flash point for clashes between Jews and Arabs claiming ownership of property there.

The settlers' ownership claims are based on Ottoman-era documents that indicate the land on which the contested properties sit belonged to Jews a century ago. Following the Six-Day War in 1967, the properties' original owners - the Sephardic Community Committee - granted Nahalat Shimon, an organization representing the settlers, power of attorney to administer the properties. A court-brokered arrangement classified the Palestinians living there as protected tenants. In at least one case, eviction orders were issued after the tenants did not pay their rent.

A series of judges accepted Nahalat Shimon's eviction orders - each rejecting Palestinians' requests to remain in homes they had acquired as refugees following the 1948 War of Independence.

The settlers have thus far evicted three Palestinian families from Sheikh Jarrah and inhabited the homes themselves, in effect creating a mini-settlement in the heart of the neighborhood. Violent altercations erupt nearly every day between the settlers and the former tenants, who erected a protest tent nearby after being evicted.

Now the settlers are attempting to remove two additional families living adjacent to a home already acquired by settler groups. In their demand, filed Tuesday with the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court, the settlers call for the Palestinians to "immediately clear the property... of all individuals and belongings." The settlers accused the Palestinians of "regularly disturbing and/or bothering and/or threatening their neighbors" as further basis for their removal. Nahalat Shimon also reaffirmed its commitment to building additional housing units for Jews in Sheikh Jarrah.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1161341.html

[LeftishBrit]

1. That is disgusting; I hope the courts rule against them

[Violet_Crumble]

2. I hope so too, though it doesn't look promising...

I feel so bad for those families already put out of their homes and the ones who will probably end up kicked out in the future...

[safeinOhio]

3. It'd be fun to use DNA samples from both

to see if these "settlers" are related to the original owners more than the current residents.

[LeftishBrit]

4. I suspect that the DNA samples from both would be pretty similar.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

9. You miss the poster's point, LB.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

8. What's your point? That these bastards have more right to these homes than

the Palestinians they are kicking out?

Chances are those settlers are from Brooklyn via Kiev.

If you support these bastards' claims, just come out and say so.

[Scurrilous]

5. Settlers attack EAs with stones in Jerusalem

<snip>

"Hardline Israeli settler youths assaulted three female Ecumenical Accompaniers (EAs) in Jerusalem on Monday, hurling rocks and bottles in an unprovoked attack.

An EA in her sixties was bruised on the arm when one of the young men threw a fist-sized rock at her. The group of around eight young men approached the women, shouting obscenities and making rude gestures before attacking. The EAs filmed the incident and it can be viewed on Youtube here.

The women had been visiting a Palestinian family in the occupied East Jerusalem neighbourhood, a focal point of the Israeli authorities' drive to "unify" the city as a Jewish capital.

As the EAs were off walking down the street, the group of young men approached them from behind, shouting, giving obscene gestures and throwing empty plastic bottles."

<snip>

"Up to 28 large Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah face eviction to make way for illegal Israeli settlements. Israeli and international peace campaigners including EAs have maintained a constant presence here since last summer's wave of evictions. Settlers frequently and physically attack local Palestinians and try to scare internationals away, for example by aggressive taunts and throwing firecrackers at visiting groups."

http://www.eappi.org/en/news/eappi-news/se/article/4834/settlers-attack-eas-with.html

[Violet_Crumble]

7. What? Young people throwing rocks? Bet they're at no risk of being shot by the IDF n/t

[breakaleg]

6. I think Palestinians should use these settlers as the face of their ad campaign.

They need to find a way to give them as much press as they can.