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East Jerusalem Palestinians face evictions in Shiekh Jarrah neighborhood
- Zach
- Nov 3, 2022
- 2 min read
A disputed region since 1967, the evictions of Palestinians and settlement of Israelis was the spark of violence earlier this year - and compromise has been rejected by both sides.
By Jake Austin, 10 August 2021
Palestinian families in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah can date their presence to 1948, settled by the Jordan government after the chaotic restructuring of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. They claim ownership of the land where their houses stand, yet an Israeli firm was able to purchase the deed to the lands from Israeli settlers in 2003. The purchase and following demands for rent has reached the highest courts in Israel and the most violent uprisings in the West Bank and Gaza.
Israeli courts proposed a possible compromise last week - the dozens of Palestinian families would not be evicted for decades of unpaid rent claimed, and would be ensured a period of time without evictions. However, they would need to start paying rent and recognize the Israeli firm as the owners of the land. The proposal was rejected out of hand by the families and their representatives. Allegedly, the Israeli firm was unhappy with the proposal too, citing past failures by the families to abide by court agreements.
This issue was a flashpoint leading to the eleven-day peak of violence earlier this year, and is being watched by many in the international community. Israel’s claim over East Jerusalem, originally not part of their land under the Balfour Declaration, is gained from their victory in the 1967 Six-Day War. The annexation was viewed as unjust to institutions such as the United Nations, but as Israel is not party to many human rights treaties, it is tough to prosecute. Evictions in occupied land are illegal under said treaties.
The evictions and decreasing population of Arabs in Jerusalem (east and west) are an obstacle to any sort of one-state solution. Ethnic tensions rise when Israeli companies play favorites, and are backed by a government. The case can also be used to radicalize young Palestinians into committing acts of terror. The world saw innocent people on both sides suffer earlier this year, yet the same issue remains intractable. Possible negotiations may need to leave the legal system of Israel and become a bill in the Knesset, as there is no higher court to elevate to. War and violence failed to solve the issue, as did bureaucracy, so will some new direct diplomacy between the state and these families be the answer?
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