Sheikh Jarrah Residents Continue Battle

Umm Kamal solidarity tent, Sheikh Jarrah

Picture: Lazar Simeonov

Muhammad Sawbagh is a humorous man with a lively disposition and a healthy smile. He passionately recounted at length his 37 year ordeal with Israeli courts over the possession of homes which he and his family have resided in since 1956. Maher Hannoun, by contrast, maintained a humble demeanour and possessed a quiet dignity. He spoke in a calm yet direct manner about his legal struggle.

Their families, like many families in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, are descendants of refugees from the 1948 war who were offered homes by the then Jordanian administered East Jerusalem. It appears that history repeats itself as the next generation inherits yet another expulsion at the hands of the Israelis.

“This situation is not comfortable” expressed Maher.

“We are worried about the children, where will they live? It’s not fair to transfer us again”.

On Sunday July 19, 2009 orders of eviction were issued to remove the Hannoun, Sawbagh, and Al Ghawe families from their homes. These orders were issued despite the fact that the families produced the necessary documents substantiating their claims to their residents.

The plan, Maher expressed with regret, is to evict 28 families in the neighbourhood and replace them with 250 Jewish residents. Some regard this as a strategic move by the Israeli government to further Judaicize the city by changing the demographic makeup of East Jerusalem.

Maher expressed that it is simply “not fair to transfer 500 people to build settlements” as East Jerusalem is deemed occupied territory according to international law.

On Monday July 13 Palestinian, Israeli and international solidarity activists erected tents in West Jerusalem in an ongoing campaign to oppose the evictions. A press conference was subsequently held to appeal to the Israeli and international conscious. Hundreds were present at Um Kamal’s tent which has reported to have been razed 5 times by the Israeli authorities.

Muhammad expressed gratitude for the international presence and the solidarity movements that took place in Jerusalem and around the world. He explained that the salient international presence since July 2008 has been received well by the community. Organizations such as the International Solidarity Movement have been critical in the effort to mitigate Israeli harassment and pressure both Muhammad and Maher believe would have occurred otherwise.

Maher explained that more recently the Israeli authorities have issued strong demands to relocate rather than applying direct force and using violent intimidation. He believes this directly results from international presence and pressure. However, Maher was unable to evade the jail time he spent over failures to comply to court orders.

As the date for eviction has passed Muhammad and Maher are uncomfortably waiting for the Israeli authorities to remove them by force, though Muhammad is hopeful that “when they want to evict they’ll see the groups. They will be prevented from doing anything”.

“We have learned to be awake all the time with the volunteers, not one or two” explains Muhammad. “Saturday until now we had 40 people from international groups here at night”.

“They don’t want to have a big reaction from the world” claimed Muhammad. He continued by noting the perceived shift in American and European politics with respect to Israeli-Palestinian affairs.

“We feel there is some change in American and European politics” he expressed emphatically.

Maher was less optimistic expressing grave concern about his family’s future, “my daughter asks me if we’ll live in a tent. We’re not born to live in a tent; here, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon. They (Israeli government) don’t just steal our land, (also) our homes, our memories”.

According to Maher, the Israeli courts have asked him to do the impossible. He remained humble yet strong willed and expressed that he is not prepared to acquiesce as “no father can do that”.

“How can I throw my kids to the street? They want us in jail or to destroy the house on our heads”.

“What are we asking for? To live peacefully, to have our human rights, freedom and equality.”

With Netanyahu’s uncompromising position on a unified Jerusalem, it is difficult to predict the overall fate of East Jerusalem even in the wake of U.S.-Israeli meetings for a temporary settlement freeze in the West Bank.

As quoted in Al Jazeera Netanyahu declared “the fact that Jews wouldn’t be entitled to live and buy anywhere in Jerusalem," as unacceptable calling Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem "indisputable".

“In spite of this we still talk, laugh and smile” said Muhammad in a low voice, himself with an ironic smile spread across his face followed by a foreboding silence.