A group of settlers, on Wednesday, with the help of the Israeli police force, took possession of the apartment in the at-Tur neighborhood, in the area of the Mount of Olives in Occupied East Jerusalem.
Located next to a large building, taken by settlers in 2006 and used as both a place of residence and for tourist activities according to local sources, the settlers claim to have purchased the apartment taken today legally.
When the large building was taken by settlers in 2006, an attempt was made to take the apartment, that has subsequently been occupied today, leading to a court case. In that case, the judge ruled in favor of the Palestinian family residing in the apartment, and criticized the Jerusalem police force for assisting the settlers without having checked the legal ownership of the property. The settlers appealed the ruling, and ten days ago, a decision was made in favor of the settlers.
This is the second case of settlers occupying property owned by Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem in as many days, and the second case relating to Palestinian property in at-Tur today.
Yesterday, a family from the Jabal Mukaber neighborhood was evicted by settlers with police assistance, and today a Palestinian man had his home demolished in al-Tur, despite having secured an injunction preventing the demolition.
Updated from: Settlers Attempting to Take Home in Mount of Olives Area
Wednesday November 24, 2010 13:10
The Wadi Hilwah Information Center, based in Silwan, occupied East Jerusalem, have issued a report stating that Jewish settlers are attempting to take over a Palestinian home in the Mount of Olives area.
The report, yet to be confirmed, states that the settlers are working with the assistance of the Israeli police force.
The settlers are trying to force three families from their homes located in Al Farouq neighborhood.
Resident Fadi Qara’een, 21, stated that he and his neighbors was repeatedly ordered to evacuate their homes that are allegedly owned by the El-Ad fundamental settler organization.
Qara’een added that Israel is pushing the Palestinians out of their homes in order to empty the city of its indigenous population and replace them with settlers.
The incident comes one day after settlers, again with the assistance of Jerusalem police, evicted Palestinian families in Jabal Mukabber rendering 28 Palestinians homeless.
The El Ad group claims that the house was legally purchased, but the evicted residents sated that the former owner passed away in the 1990s, and that his will specifies them as the owners of the property.
