The High Court of Justice has ousted two Arab families who illegally entered Jewish homes in the Shimon HaTzaddik neighborhood in the eastern capital, an area referred to by the USA a Sheikh Jarrah.

The Arab squatters’ insisted they are the rightful owners but the Jews were able to produce the necessary documentation to satisfy the court, resulting in the eviction of the squatters, which was accomplished without incident. The papers are in many cases titles of ownership dating back to the pre-state days, showing that for the past decades, the Arabs living in the homes have been occupying the properties illegally, contrary to the opinion accepted by the United States and other western nations, preferring to view Israel as the “occupier”.

The Shimon HaTzaddik area of the capital, which has been predominately Arab for many years, has been the subject of increasing White House pressure against Israel as philanthropist Dr. Irving Moskowitz, a resident of the USA, is moving ahead with an approved project to building Jewish housing units. While the American government views the area as “occupied” by Israel, Jerusalem City Hall and the national government has explained that the project has received all the necessary permits and there is no justification for halting the project in the heart of the Jewish capital.

In a related matter, PA Prime Minister Salim Fayyad announced that this area and others areas of “East Jerusalem” are designated to serve as the capital of Palestinian after it is established.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)