Settlers Take Palestinian Homes in East Jerusalem Evictions

Settlers Seize Homes in East Jerusalem Evictions

Palestinian families in occupied East Jerusalem are losing their homes to Israeli settlers. Yaqub al-Rajabi and his family were recently forced out of their home in the Battn al-Hawa neighborhood of Silwan. They can now only watch as Israeli settlers have moved in, raising flags on their former property.

“This is my home. I was born here. I got married here and raised all my children here,” al-Rajabi stated, his voice filled with emotion.

He explained that more than 70 people, including extended family and the Basbous family, lived in the house. The experience of losing a lifelong home is deeply painful and suffocating, he said.

Legal Battles and Biased Laws

Israeli settlers have been taking over homes in the area gradually. As soon as a Palestinian family is evicted, settlers move in.

This morning, Israeli police evicted several families, and their homes were immediately given to settlers. These families had fought eviction orders for years in Israeli courts, including the Supreme Court, but lost their cases.

The evictions typically happen early in the morning. Police arrive, knock on doors, and force residents, including women and children, to leave. The families are then moved to temporary locations about 500 meters away.

“Occupation will not be merciful to you. It will certainly be unjust,” one resident remarked about the process.

Discriminatory Property Laws

Israeli law allows Jewish Israelis to claim property owned by Jewish families before 1948. However, it does not grant Palestinians the same right to reclaim their ancestral lands. This legal disparity is a key factor in the ongoing evictions and land seizures.

Settler organizations, like Ateret Cohanim, are actively working to increase the Jewish Israeli presence in Palestinian neighborhoods. They aim to acquire Palestinian homes and lands, often by exploiting historical claims. Ateret Cohanim is involved in evicting or buying out Palestinian residents based on claims that parts of the land belonged to a Jewish-Yemeni trust from the 19th century.

A representative from Ateret Cohanim expressed satisfaction with these developments. “I feel great about the facts that the Jews are returning after being driven out,” they said. Their focus is on Jewish people who were forced to leave in 1938, viewing current Palestinian residents as “illegal squatters.”

Demolitions and Displacement

Palestinians in Silwan face not only evictions but also home demolitions. Settler groups, supported by government policies, have targeted the area for years. In the al-Bustan area of Silwan, homes and structures are being demolished, changing the neighborhood’s landscape.

Since October 2023, the municipality has demolished around 40 homes and other buildings. These demolitions are often justified by a lack of building permits, which are extremely difficult for Palestinians to obtain. City officials appear to prioritize planning that benefits settlers in East Jerusalem over the needs of the growing Palestinian population.

“There’s definitely a bias here, and it’s very worrisome because the city hall is supposed to serve all the residents, and it does not serve them equally,” noted a concerned observer. The area is slated to become an archaeological tourism park managed by a settler organization.

A Growing Crisis

Abu Talal Awad is one of many who have suffered losses. Parts of his home and property walls were demolished after Ramadan. “Yesterday, there were fences here, a door here, an olive tree here, mint planted.

Now, the world is different. It’s something else.

Total ruin today. Just ruins you can see,” he described the devastating change.

Affordable housing in occupied East Jerusalem is scarce, and options for Palestinians are limited. According to the United Nations, over 200 Palestinian households in East Jerusalem are currently facing eviction cases filed by settlers. Residents fear they will be forced out of their city altogether.

The next court hearings for some of these eviction cases are scheduled for later this year.

Source: In occupied East Jerusalem, Palestinians face evictions | DW News (YouTube)