Israeli settlers are trying to have two more Palestinian families evicted from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, in occupied East Jerusalem, in order to allow the construction of Jewish-only homes in their place.Israeli daily, Haaretz, reported that the settlers want to build 200 units only designated for Jews in Sheikh Jarrah.
The settlers claim having documents that date back to the Ottoman empire, and that these document “prove that Jews owned the structures more than a 100 years ago.
Haaretz stated that the homes “belong to Jews of the Sephardic Community Committee” which is a settler organization that was granted power of attorney to administer the homes.
Israel claims that the Palestinians who live in those homes were regarded as protected tenants, and that the evicted residents were forced out of their homes “because they did not pay their rent”.
But after settlers organization headed to court, several Israeli judges decided to evict the Palestinians from their homes.
The Israeli High Court issued three rulings leading to the eviction of three Palestinian families from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah. The Palestinians were replaced by Jewish settlers leading to ongoing clashes between the settlers and the residents who installed a protest tent nearby.
But the settlers are now eyeing on other Palestinian homes in Sheikh Jarrah, and filed a petition to the Magistrate’s Court demanding the Palestinians to leave.
An Israeli peace activist said that the Israel removed the Palestinians from their homes and replaced them “with thugs and fundamentalists who are abusing the residents and threading them”.
The activist added that while the International Community is focused on Jerusalem, the government of Benjamin Netanyahu is cooperating with the fanatic settlers in order to foil the chances of any peace deal with the Palestinians.
He also stated that Israelis who love peace and want stability must act and protest against settlements and ongoing violations in Sheikh Jarrah.
On Sunday, two Palestinians and three international activists were wounded after the army and the settlers attacked nonviolent protestors in Sheikh Jarrah.
The Israeli police also kidnapped one Palestinian of the Al Ghawi family, member of one of the families that were evicted and replaced by fundamentalist settlers.
