Another Ethnic Cleansing Attempt in Al Abbasiya Neighborhood in Silwan

Israeli occupation authorities distributed on the 5th of March, 2009 eviction and demolition orders to two residential buildings containing 34 Jerusalemite families living in Al Abbasiya Neighborhood in Al Thuri. The orders were issued under the pretext of building beyond the given permit.

Members of the Israeli Police accompanied Jerusalem Municipality employees who surrounded Al Sheikh Buildings in the southern entrance of Al Thuri. They placed eviction orders on each apartment without specifying the name of occupant. The orders were issued by the Department of Licensing and Investigation in the Municipality and directed against Mr. Ahmad Al Sheikh and all the residents of the two buildings. The Municipality gave the 250 + residents only 10 days to move out in order to “minimize the damage resulting from the demolition of the apartments they are residing in in accordance with the High Court decision number 1532/09.” The afore-mentioned High Court decision was issued on February 18th, 2009, in which it rejected an appeal filed by the residents of the buildings against previous demolition and eviction orders.

The residents of the 34 apartments own them since the years 2000 and 2001. They approached the Legal Councilor of the Municipality with the assertion that the Municipality has deceived them especially that it did not give any sign in the past 4 years that the building was under the threat of being demolished. On the contrary, most of the families went to the Municipality and asked about the legal status of the apartments before purchasing it. They were told that the apartments are legal and that they should not fear anything. As such, apartment owners were shocked in 2004 when they received eviction and demolition orders of their place of residence. See copy of military order

In a field visit carried out by the Human Rights and Housing Observer at the Land Research Center (LRC) to the families of Al Sheikh Buildings, the families indicated the following:

We legally bought the apartments from Al Sheikh clan in the two buildings in the years 2000 and 2001. We have done so after checking with the Jerusalem Municipality about the “legal” status of the apartments. We were told that the apartments had permits and their standing is legal. We lived in our apartments for four years and we were not approached by the Municipality in any way, shape, or form. However, in 2004 the Municipality placed eviction and demolition orders directed towards the owner of the two buildings. We were shocked to say the least and angered that the Municipality didn’t say anything for 4 years.

In the year 2007 the family of Nariman Al Joulani, a resident and owner of one of the apartments, filed an appeal against the decision of the Municipality. Yet, the court repealed the appeal and placed a financial fine against the owner of the buildings, Mr. Ahamd Al Sheikh, in the amount of NIS 2,400,000 while allowing him a “chance” of one year to get the necessary building permits.

In August 2008 the families of the two buildings submitted a schematic plan to the Municipality in order to get the needed permits. However, the Municipality refused to even accept the plan for further consideration. It also refused to extend the time period to get the necessary building permits. In September 2008 the Municipality issued eviction and demolition orders against the two buildings.

The families added the following:

We approached the Israeli High Court which told us that it will look into our appeal. On February 18th, 2009 the High Court refused it. On March 5th, 2009 were surprised to see a large police force accompanying Municipality employees who placed eviction orders at the door of each apartment and took pictures of it hung on the doors. The orders gave us only 10 days to move out as a prelude to the demolition.              

The families insisted that it purchased the apartments legally and that they were deceived by the Municipality in an apparent corruption case. They have also made it clear that they are ready to carryout all the steps needed to get the necessary permits for their apartments to allow the women, children and elderly stay in their residence places. It is worth noting that there are 10 elderly, 10 handicapped and a number of sick Palestinians living in the threatened apartments.     

LRC declares that it is the right of these families to continue to live safely in their place of residence and that the threats of the illegal Jerusalem Municipality of evicting them and demolishing their homes is a stark violation of at least 12 international laws and conventions. House demolitions and the consequent homelessness of its residence is part of an institutionalized policy adopted by the Jerusalem Municipality at all levels. Signs of such policy are apparent in Al Bustan Neighborhood in Silwan, Al Sahl neighborhood in Al Tur, Ras Khamis neighborhood in Shu’fat refugee camp as well as in Al Sheikh Jarrah Housing Project in Jerusalem, among other locations in East Jerusalem. This ethnic cleansing policy is a war crime that aims at Judiazing Jerusalem and unequivocally change its Arabic and Muslim character. The following table lists the name of apartments’ owners in the buildings known as Al Sheikh Buildings in Al Abbasiya Neighborhood of Silwan:

Photo 1: The First building which received a demolition order – Al Abbasiya Neighborhood

The Second Building:

Photo 2: The second building which received a demolition order – Al Abbasiya Neighborhood

Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC