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Graphic shows Palestinian homes under threat in Sheikh Jarrah.
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ISRAËL

Mogelijk uitsel Palestijnse uitzettingen

By Duncan Mil

July 30, 2021 - Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett may seek to postpone a Supreme Court decision on the forced eviction of four Palestinian families in East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah, ahead of a planned trip to Washington.

On Monday (August 2), the Israeli Supreme Court will hold a hearing to decide whether to evict the Iskafi, Kurd, Jaanoi and Qassem families -- consisting of 30 adults and ten children -- from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah. Currently, 38 Palestinian families are living in the district.

According to The Times of Israel, Bennett does not want the evictions to create problems for his first planned visit to the White House as prime minister, due in August.

An impartial “amicus curiae” brief prepared by four prominent Israeli legal experts -- Professor Eyal Benvenisti, Professor Orna Ben Naftali, Professor David Kretzmer and Dr Natalie Davidson -- presents hitherto unheard arguments rooted in international human rights law.

According to the brief, more than 1,000 Palestinian residents in Silwan neighbourhood south of Jerusalem Old City and Sheikh Jarra to the north have a human right to housing. This right includes continuing to live in properties that have served as their homes for decades.

The brief concludes that the Supreme Court case is not just another property rights dispute between equal parties because it involves the Israeli government.

“In terms of international law, there is an institution called state responsibility. At some point, the state must be held accountable for human rights violations,” wrote Professor Eyal Benvenisti.

In May, the Sheikh Jarrah dispute helped to trigger 11 days of intense fighting between Israel and Gaza’s ruling Hamas militant group.

Since the beginning of 2020, Israeli courts have ordered the eviction of 13 Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 04/08/2021; STORY: Graphic News; PICTURES: Associated Press
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