The Supreme Court last week rejected a petition filed by the el-Kurad family in eastern Jerusalem, in the Shimon HaTzaddik neighborhood, referred to by some as Sheikh Jarrah.

The family is compelled to move from the structure to permit the continued construction planned in the growing Jewish neighborhood located near Kever Shimon HaTzaddik.

The family, assisted by PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) is seeking to politicize the matter, turning to foreign diplomats and consulates to apply pressure to prevent the actualization of the eviction order, realizing the area is regarded as “occupied East Jerusalem” by the international community, including the United States.

The land in the area is being purchased by the Nachlat Shomron organization, which also works towards reclaiming Jewish land taken by Arabs, as well as overseeing the development of the area and its return to Jewish ownership. In some cases, huge sums are paid to reclaim the land from the Arabs currently occupying the area.

At present, the number of Jewish families is small, but the master plan, that has been approved, calls for razing dozens of older homes to make way for the construction of 200 housing units. This will provide a significant demographic change – as well as playing a major role towards a Jewish contiguity between the Old City and other areas of the eastern capital.

Dr. Rafiq Husseini, who is Abu Mazen’s bureau chief, last week began increasing efforts to pressure members of the diplomatic corps to become involved. In his appeal, Husseini points out that “Palestinian families are being expelled from the area…stating their families had legal claim to 60% of area in the western capital prior to 1948… Nevertheless, the colonialist policy of the court, which has become harsher since Annapolis (Conference), is forcing the homeowners out of the area.”

After the 1967 Six Day War, Jews began working to retrace ownership of land. The Vaad Sephardim and the Vaad Knesset Yisrael took their case to court, showing their roots dating back to the Ottoman period, persuading the district court that the land was theirs, taken by the current Arab occupants and their families.

Another petition has been filed with the Supreme Court seeking a temporary injunction to delay the implementation of the eviction order pending additional legal appeals. In addition, the concerned parties have realized that since the legal system does not support their claims, their best route is the diplomatic one, now hoping to turn international diplomatic pressure against Israel towards halting the expansion of the Shimon HaTzaddik neighborhood.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)