World: Jerusalem’s District Court postponed a ruling this week on an appeal by seven Palestinian families, comprising 44 people, facing expulsion from their homes in the Batan al-Hawa area of Silwan.
Palestinians say, however, what they see as the “Judaization” of East Jerusalem, incorporating expulsions, will continue – it is just a matter of time.
The delay cites an earlier ruling by the magistrate’s court that the families, part of 19 families from Batan al-Hawa, be expelled from their homes to make way for Israeli settlers who claim they lived there before 1948 when the state of Israel was established.
Head of the Committee for the Defence of Silwan’s Lands and Real Estate and a researcher on Jerusalem affairs, stated,” The court will delay the ruling because the situation is very tense in East Jerusalem now due to the Palestinian families also facing expulsion in Sheikh Jarrah and the raids into Al-Aqsa Mosque.” Citing American Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to the region, Abu Diab suggested the expulsion be on hold.
Husseini, a former journalist who took part in the first Palestinian uprising, said,” The situation on the ground is similar to that during the first Intifada as more Palestinians are becoming politicized and are no longer afraid.”
It has been several weeks now the clashes erupted at Sheikh Jarrah as Palestinians protested the pending expulsion of several families from their homes and clashed with Israeli security forces, resulting in many injuries and arrests.