On Monday September 15th 2008, the Muftah of Palestine and children from Shu’afaat orphanage visited the Al Kurd family to show their solidarity with the resistance Al Kurd and the 27 other families in Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood are putting up against Israel’s ethnic cleansing of occupied East Jerusalem.
50 children and grown ups broke fast together on the 15th day of Ramadan.
The orphanage in Shu’afaat refugee camp rewarded Kamel Al Kurd with a statuette of Palestine with her name engraved for strong and continues resistance against the occupation and ethnic cleansing in occupied East Jerusalem.
The approximately 50 people gathered in front of Al Kurd family home celebrated the break of the fast on the 15th day of Ramadan with a feast. Children from the orphanage in Shu’afaat enjoyed the fish and fries served. The Muftah of Palestine held a speech dedicated to the children about the meaning of Ramadan and the importance of unity and solidarity the Palestinian people in between, in relation to the meal the group had just shared.
Fawzia Al Kurd told the children about the struggle of the Palestinians living in Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood. She told about how the settler company Nahlat Shamon that falsely claims to own the land on which the house is build. She also spoke about how it has offered her 10 million US dollars for the small house her and her family have lived in for the last 50 years.
She told about how the settlers who have occupied half her families home have tried to set her up by placing a gun outside her home ones and money another time. How she avoided the set ups by calling the police and letting them remove both gun and money.
She also told about the time when 6 armed settler men broke into her house while her husband were in hospital after a stroke, likely to be caused by the stress the family are facing everyday.
She told the children about the importance of unity of the Palestinian people and thanked them for their solidarity. She also told them that they are not alone in their struggle and told how internationals from all over the world joining ISM share their values and stay in solidarity with the Palestinians in their struggle.
The Al Kurd family have lived in the house in Sheikh Jarrah since 1964 after they had to flee their childhood homes in Jaffah and West Jerusalem.
Their problems really started in 1985 when the Zionist settler organisation Nahlat Shemoun claimed ownership of the land.
Different Israeli settlers illegally live in the half of the house they have occupied from the Al Kurd family. They come during the day to occupy the space but the Israeli court has now giving the second order to evict them, they date is set to the 8th November.
Also the Al Kurd family have received an eviction notice from Israel after they renovated the house in order to make it possible for Fawzia’s husband to get around after his stroke.
The plan for the new Israeli neighborhood will form the missing link between the 12 illegal Israeli settlements consisting of 92,000 Israeli settlers in occupied Palestinian East Jerusalem.