Amidst repeated invasions, assaults and attacks by extremist Israeli colonialist settlers attempting to displace a Jerusalemite Palestinian family, and occupy their building, Palestinian residents and Israeli peace activists, started guarding a Palestinian building, inhabited by the family for more than 60 years.The activists gathered in ‘Aqbat al-Khadiyya, just a few meters away from the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem, drumming and chanting “No to the occupation,” expressing solidarity and support with the Palestinian family that inhabited the building for more than 60 years, Christine Rimawi of Palestine TV said in her report.
The activists are constantly in and around the property hoping to foil all Israeli attempts to remove the indigenous Palestinian family, and replace them with colonialist settlers.
“We are in danger every single moment, whenever the someone knocks on the door; we fear it is the army or the settlers,” Noura Sob-Laban told the Palestine TV, “We cannot sleep, cannot rest; I hope the solidarity activists will remain here, with us, to provide us strength to foil those attacks.”
The property in question is owned by a Palestinian family, that rented it to a Jewish family, prior to the establishment of Israel in the Palestine in 1948, and in 1953 the Jewish family rented the home to Sob-Laban family.
Under Israeli renters’ protection law, the Sob-Laban family that rented the property 62 years ago, is supposed to be protected and secured as they have been paying, not only their monthly rent, but also property taxes to the Jerusalem City Council.
The family is currently awaiting a verdict on an appeal it filed to an Israeli court, that would render its ruling by the end of this coming May.
The appeal was submitted after the Jerusalem District Court ruled in favor of settlement groups, that claim “the family abandoned the property for one year,” justifying the allege by stating this “voids the rent agreement.”
Palestinian Researcher, specialized in settlement affairs, Ahmad Sob-Laban, said the Israeli law allows the Israelis to demand removing the Palestinians from their rented homes, but at the same time deny all Palestinians, Muslims and Christians, from demanding to return to their homes and property, they owned before the Nakba of 1948, whether in Jerusalem, including West Jerusalem, or in other parts of Historic Palestine.
The family is now fighting for their existence in their home, awaiting the court ruling, nevertheless, subject to daily attacks by Israeli fanatics who want to remove them, and render their homeless.
Their current steadfastness is supported by Israeli peace activists who are also subject to constant harassment by fanatic Israeli groups, and by the Police.
