The Israeli Magistrate’s Court in Jerusalem rejected the proposed route of the annexation wall in Sheikh Sa’ad neighborhood, in the East Jerusalem village of Jabal Al Mokabber, after the residents appealed against it since it cuts the neighborhood off from the rest of the village.
The appeal was filed by 700 residents of Sheikh Sa’ad neighborhood who said that the Wall would isolate them from the rest of the village and the rest of the Palestinian areas.
The Sheikh Sa’ad neighborhood is adjacent to the line delineating the southeastern municipal boundary of Jerusalem.
The neighborhood is located in Area B, this means that it us under the civil control of the Palestinian Authority while a small section of the village is in area B which is under full Israeli security and civil control.
Most of the residents carry Palestinian identity cards, and are not allowed to enter Israel; if they are separated from Jerusalem, they will be separated from goods and services.
The planned route of the Wall passed through an area of Jabal Al Mokabber that looks down on Jerusalem, and would have separated Sheikh Sa’ad area from Jabal Al Mokabber.
The Israeli Defence Ministry was debating that Sheikh Sa’ad is not part of Jabal Al Mokabber, and that it is an independent village.
The court ruled that residents of Sheikh Sa’ad do not pose a security risk to Jerusalem but the neighborhood is liable to be used by Palestinian residents seeking to enter Jerusalem.
Lawyer, Jiat Nasser, who represents the residents of Sheikh Sa’ad, said in response to the court’s decision that the court acted with its conscience and provided justice for the neighborhood and its residents.
