Middle East

Israel evicts Jerusalem Palestinian families

Article published on the 2009-08-02 Latest update 2009-08-02 13:29 TU

Israeli border police officers stand guard as Israelis renovate a house in the Sheikh Jarrah on 27 July
(Photo: Reuters)

Israeli police swooped on two Palestinian families at 6am Sunday morning to evict them from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of east Jerusalem.

Large numbers of police moved into the upmarket area early Sunday.  They burst into the houses, driving the families out along with international supporters who had joined them out of solidarity.

The al Ghani and al Hanoun families have lived in the houses since 1956. The site once belonged to the grand mufti of Jerusalem, Amin al-Husseini, but was bought by American millionaire Irving Moskovitz in 1985. Moskowitz had previously financed settlement projects on the West Bank.

An Israeli court recently gave the families ten days to quit their homes, after permission was granted for the construction of about 20 homes for Jewish settlers. They would be part of a reported plan to build several hundred units for recent Jewish immigrants in Sheikh Jarrah.

The British consulate, which is situated in the area, called the evictions "incompatible with the Israeli professed desire for peace".

"The Israelis' claim that the imposition of extremist Jewish settlers into this ancient Arab neighbourhood is a matter for the courts or the municipality is unacceptable," a statement said.

Israel's ambassador in Washington, Michael Oren, was summoned to the State Department last month to be told the project should be halted.

Israel, which captured east Jerusalem in the 1967 war, wants the whole city to be its "eternal, undivided" capital and has rejected calls for settlements be curbed.

The Palestinians want the east of the city, which is home to about 268,000 Palestinians and 200,000 Jews, to be the capital of the state which has been promised them during international negotiations.

Israel says that it is seeking clarification from Britain about alleged statements by Abu Dhabi-based British diplomat, Martin Day.

It says that Day told Al-Arabiya television that the UK is financing Palestinian building projects in east Jerusalem "aimed at stopping settlement activity".