Tag: Sheikh Jarrah

Dozens protest east Jerusalem eviction plans

Ronen Medzini | YNet News

19 July 2009

Maher Hanoun, a resident of the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in east Jerusalem, has been ordered by court to vacate his home. Dozens of the neighborhood’s residents, as well as Jewish and Arab politicians and human rights activists arrived at Hanoun’s house on Sunday to protest the court’s decision.

Earlier Sunday it was reported that the US is pressuring Israel to halt the development of a planned hotel in Sheikh Jarrah.

The protestors held up a poster carrying US President Barack Obama’s image and the caption in English, “President Obama, yes you can – stop the evictions and house demolitions in east Jerusalem.”

“My responsibility is to protect my house, in which I was born in 1956, and to protect my children who were also born here,” said Hanoun. “Should they evacuate us, we have no place else to go. We ask everybody to help the families of Sheikh Jarrah.”

Hatem Abdel-Qader, who several weeks ago resigned from his post as Palestinian Authority minister for Jerusalem affairs, told Ynet: “The Americans are pressuring Israel to suspend all changes in the status quo and not to build a settlement at the Sheppard Hotel. The area in question is Palestinian and is under Israeli occupation. We hope that the American pressure will yield results.”

Abdel-Qader added: “We are here to support the Hanoun family and send a message to the whole world – the decision to raze houses and build a settlement is illegal.”

‘Attempt to Judaize east Jerusalem’

The former minister believes that the US can have tremendous influence on the issue. “Who else can do it but Obama? However, we need more than speeches; we need real pressure that would stop the Israelis actions in east Jerusalem.”

Jerusalem City Council member for Meretz Meir Margalit also attended the rally Sunday. “The Sheppard Hotel is another part of a larger effort of the Israeli government to promote the Judaization of the eastern city, sometimes directly and sometimes through settlers,” he said.

According to Margalit, “The goal is to take over as many properties in the eastern city as possible, in a bid to create a situation in which most of the area could be claimed as Jewish according to the Clinton outline (under which in the event of a peace agreement and land exchange, areas where there is a Jewish majority will remain in Jewish hands, and vice versa).

“The Americans understand that there is a broad strategic plan here, whose purpose is to change the demographic balance in the area. They therefore ant to stop it before it’s too late,” he concluded.

Chicago activists picket Israeli consulate as part of international day of action against house evictions and demolitions in Palestine

13 July 2009

On Monday, the 13th of July, around 35 Chicago activists picketed the Israeli consulate in response to a call to action from Palestinian residents of occupied East Jerusalem currently facing house eviction or demolition at the hands of Israeli authorities. When one demonstrator attempted to deliver an eviction notice to the staff at the consulate, similar to ones Palestinian families receive when Israel informs them that they are to be evicted or their homes demolished, he was prevented from even entering the building.

At 12pm, the solidarity activists demonstrated outside the building holding signs against the occupation and calling for a halt to the hundreds of eviction and demolition orders pending for Palestinian communities in occupied East Jerusalem. Palestinians regard East Jerusalem as their capital city, and the Israeli authorities are making no secret of their plans for depopulating Palestinian residents from the region.

As the picket was ending, one demonstrator attempted to enter the lobby of the building to deliver an eviction notice to the consulate staff. The activist was prevented from even entering the lobby by Chicago police as well as building security. None of the staff agreed to come down to receive the eviction order.

Chicago activists drop 88 banners across city protesting Israeli eviction and demolition of Palestinian homes

13 July 2009

Monday, July 13th 2009, 5am: In perhaps the largest campaign of its kind in Chicago’s history, over a dozen activists dropped 88 banners across Chicagoland this morning decrying Israel’s policies of evicting or destroying Palestinian homes. Each banner represents one of 88 Palestinian homes in the occupied East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan that have received demolition orders from Israeli authorities.

Today’s banners were dropped as part of an international day of action on July 13th in solidarity with Palestinian families facing house evictions or demolition in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem. In addition to Chicago, demonstrations and actions are planned for San Francisco, New York City, London, Paris, Copenhagen, Glasgow, and Jerusalem.

Chicago’s action saw banners being hung from highway overpasses, bridges, and from the roofs of buildings. Some of the banners read, “End the occupation of Palestine,” or “From Chicago to Palestine, communities are facing eviction,” and call for onlookers to “Support. Resist. Fight.”

Under an illegal occupation, Israeli policies of evicting Palestinians or destroying their homes are often used as acts of collective punishment, contrary to international law.

As refugees and people living under occupation, we are asking people to help us with our struggle for our rights. It is unbelievable that in the 21st century, Israel’s authorities can get away with demolishing the homes of Palestinians in order to build settlements or national parks. The price we and our neighbours have to pay is too high, we are faced with two impossible choices – either we throw our kids out on the street or we go to prison. If we lose our homes, there is nowhere else for us to go, the only option we have is to live in tents

– Maher Hannoun, Palestinian resident from Sheikh Jarrah facing imminent eviction and imprisonment

In Chicago, the activists also tied their message of solidarity with Palestinians facing eviction to solidarity with Chicago communities that are being displaced as part of the city’s plans for the 2016 Olympic bid.

For more information please see: http://www.standupforjerusalem.org/

Copenhagen demonstrates in solidarity with East Jerusalem residents facing evictions and demolitions

13 July 2009

International day of solidarity with East Jerusalem residents facing eviction or demolition of their homes. Demonstration in front of the Israeli embassy in Copenhagen.

At 8.30 in the morning on Monday 13th of July Scandinavian activists showed their solidarity with the Palestinians in East Jerusalem facing eviction or demolition of their houses by putting up 6 tents in front of the Israeli embassy in Copenhagen.

The Danish police showed up after less than ten minutes, took the details of the activists, and ordered the manifestation to move to the opposite side of a busy street away from the Israeli embassy. The police moved the manifestation a second time further away from the Israeli embassy on demand from the employees of the embassy.

The 6 tents raised in front of the Israeli embassy in Copenhagen symbolize Palestinians in East Jerusalem threatened with eviction or demolition of their houses.

A tent for the Ghawe family and one for the Hanoun family in Sheikh Jarrah as well as each one tent for the Palestinian neighborhoods Silwan, Ras Khamis/ Shu’fat, The Old City and At-Tur. On the wall facing the embassy was a big banner with the words “No To Ethnic Cleansing” and a poster for the Al-Kurd family.

The residents of Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood have used the tent as a symbol for their struggle since the Al-Kurd family got evicted from their home in November 2008.

Another two eviction orders have been given to the Hanoun Family and the Ghawe Family, both family fathers face imprisonment if they do not hand over the keys to their houses.

Later the symbol has spread and is now used in Silwan were 88 homes are threatened with demolition to make room for a park leading to the new settlement “Ir David”. More than 50 Palestinian homes have been demolished in Silwan during the past 10 years.

Also Ras Khamis are using the tent as symbol for the threat demolition orders cause. 55 houses or more than 500 persons are in danger of becoming refugees if Israeli plans are carried out.

Common for all the above mentioned neighborhoods is that the residents are originally refugees that had to flee their homes in 1948.
UN reports estimate that 60.000 Palestinians in East Jerusalem are in danger of administrative house demolitions or evictions.

The many house demolitions and evictions are all part of the ethnic cleansing of East Jerusalem.

The International society have to act now. Have to share the responsibility for the ongoing catastrophe.

International day of solidarity with East Jerusalem residents facing eviction or demolition of their homes

For Immediate Release

12 pm, Monday, 13 July 2009: Israeli and international solidarity activists will set up tents on King George St. in West Jerusalem as part of a coordinated campaign in solidarity with Palestinians facing home evictions and demolitions in East Jerusalem.

4 pm, Monday 13 July 2009: A press conference will be held at the Sheikh Jarrah protest tent.

Speakers will include:
Sheikh Raed Salah – President of the Islamic Movement inside the Green Line
Mr. Maher Hanoun – Owner of one of the house in danger of eviction, Sheikh Jarrah
Mr. Fakhrie Abu Diab – Owner of one of the houses in danger of demolition, Al Bustan , Silwan

Maher Hannoun, a Sheikh Jarrah resident facing eviction and imprisonment, said:

As refugees and people living under occupation, we are asking the Israeli and international public to help us with our struggle for our rights. It is unbelievable that in the 21st century, Israel’s authorities can get away with demolishing the homes of Palestinians in order to build settlements or national parks. The price we and our neighbours have to pay is too high, we are faced with two impossible choices – either we throw our kids out on the street or we go to prison. If we lose our homes, there is nowhere else for us to go, the only option we have is to live in tents.

Later in the evening a play for children by the Sanabel theatre will be held at the tent.

Similar actions will be happening on the same day in the USA, the UK, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Ireland, France, Spain, Denmark, Holland and Egypt.

Tents have become a powerful symbol of the struggle of Palestinian people living in occupied East Jerusalem. They have been set up as centers of protest in neighbourhoods threatened by Israel’s policy of ethnically cleansing East Jerusalem of its Palestinian population through house evictions and demolitions. A number of the tents, notably the one in Sheikh Jarrah, have been built by Palestinian residents forcibly displaced as a result of this policy. Palestinians, who became refugees in 1948 & 1967 are, once again, facing dispossession from their homes and land as the international community stands by.

The neighbourhoods most severely affected are Sheikh Jarrah, Silwan, Ras Khamiis, Al Tur and Sur Beher however house evictions and demolitions are not uncommon in the Old City itself. In Silwan, 88 homes in the al Bustan quarter are facing immediate destruction in order to create space for a planned national park. A total of 1500 residents would be displaced if this plan went ahead. In Sheikh Jarrah, 28 families are living under the threat of house evictions which are part of a plan to implant a new Jewish settlement in the area, close to the Old City. After the Al Kurd family has been forcibly removed from their home in November 2008, it is now the turn of the al-Ghawe and Hannoun families who face imminent eviction, while others are awaiting further court decisions. Fathers of the two families with current eviction orders also face imprisonment, should they not leave the houses voluntarily by the deadline (19th July) issued by the latest court hearing.

In Beit Hanina, Al Tur, Ath Thuri and Wadi Yasul, a combined total of more than 3,600 persons are affected by pending demolition orders – this includes two apartment buildings in Al Abbasiyya, housing 34 families.