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Sunday, November 09, 2008
18:17 Mecca time, 15:17 GMT
News Middle East
Palestinians forced from 'UN home'
The United Nations gave the al-Kurd family the house after the creation of Israel in 1948 [AFP]

Police officers have evicted a Palestinian family from their east Jerusalem home of 52 years, after Israel's high court ruled in favour of Jewish settlers already occupying part of the building.

The al-Kurd family finally lost their protracted legal battle on July 16 this year, after judges backed the settlers' claim to the land and ruled that the family be removed from the property.

The family were evicted on Sunday, despite the fact the al-Kurds are still in the midst of appealing against the high court judgment.

Fawzia al-Kurd told news agency AFP: "They arrived at three thirty at the morning. They broke into the house by smashing the door and forcefully threw us out, inhumanely."

Foreign pro-Palestinian activists have been camping outside the house in recent weeks in protest of the court ruling. Seven were detained for questioning on Sunday, police sources said.

International leaders, including Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, have spoken out against plans to expel the family.

Symbol of resistance

The al-Kurd's fight to remain in their home has become symbolic of Palestinian resistance to the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements in occupied east Jerusalem overall.

The family were given the house back in 1956 by UNRWA - the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees - after they, like many others, fled Israel to east Jerusalem following the creation of the Israeli state in 1948.

Another 27 Palestinian families who evacuated to east Jerusalem in the 1940s, which was then under Jordanian control, were also allocated housing in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood by the UNRWA.

However, after Israeli forces captured and annexed east Jerusalem during the 1967 Six Day war, Israeli settlers registered their claim to the land. The al-Kurd's say that the 19th-century Ottoman document upon which the title deeds are based is a fake.

Mayoral elections

The move comes just two days before municipal elections. In Jerusalem, two leading candidates for mayor, Meir Porush and Nir Barkat, have both spoke out in favour of Jewish settlements in the east of the city.

Hatem Abdelkader, a spokesman for Salam Fayyad, the Palestinian prime minister, reacted angrily to the eviction.

"They want to expel Palestinian residents from Sheikh Jarrah. It is an escalation before the municipal elections," he said.

The eviction happened on the same day as the international quartert for the Middle East - the US, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations - met in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

Leaders urged the Israelis to stop the construction of Jewish settlements on occupied Palestinian land.

 Source: Agencies
 
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Feedback Number of comments : 9
 
Chris
Poland
10/11/2008
If the Al Kurds version is true,
let me join in condemnation of Israel state. But I see that you post the articles criticising this country everyday. I am very interested to hear from you ONCE an article condemning the forceful explusion of tens or hundreds of thousands Arab population from Khuzestan by the Iranian state. The Europarliament was explicit to condemn it: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do jsessionid=6C5EA3AF08491CB270C9C8657D223A02.node1?language=EN&reference=P6-RC-2005-0537&type=MOTION (par.17)

Nina
Canada
10/11/2008
Stop pretending you want peace Israel!
They won't stop untill they ethnically cleanse Jerusalem from every Arab living there for the sole purpose in avoiding any excuse for Palestinians to claim it as the capital of their future state. This is outrageous!And I am sick and tired in hearing arguments such as"oh well, Arabs evicted us".Israelis won't leave Palestine for the Palestinians even if Arab leaders would invite them back.You want peace?Ha!Who are you kidding Israel?You don't want peace! You want an Arab-free state!

Joseph
United States
13/11/2008
To Chris from Poland
That could hardly be less relevant to this story, and this family. The news does not exist to reassure you of the validity of the worldview you have already contrived.

Steve
United States
14/11/2008
Palestinians forced from UN home
This is terrorism by Israel and the US should be there trying to stop it with more than words.

Marius
Netherlands
10/11/2008
Ownership
The settlers claim ownership of the building with a 19th-century document. Many Palestinian refugees own property inside the 1948 borders of Israel. Does this mean they are going to give everyone their property back now?

MB
Canada
10/11/2008
Israeli Apartheid
This is yet another reason why I consider the State of Israel an illegal state founded on the basis of apartheid. I myself am part Jewish, but the Israeli government is nothing more than a terrorst organization. If the Jews want a home in the Middle East, they need a government founded on social democracy, not on racism and zionism.

mCLine
United Kingdom
10/11/2008
Injustice
The Quartet should not just speaking they should act immediately to stop the continuing injustices committed against the Palestinian people. The acts of Israelis are already too much...its already inhumane.

digger
United States
13/11/2008
Auschwitz in Israel?
I cannot help but wonder exactly when the Israelis will take a page from their own history, and begin loading Palestinians onto trains to be transported to "labour camps". Then what, "showers" for all? Those who do not learn from history's mistakes are bound to repeat them.

AzizA
Belgium
13/11/2008
Palestinians forced from homes
This might be a silly question, but if these homes were given to Palestinians in the 1950s, by the UN... Wouldn't and shouldn't this issue involve the UN? That would mean that the UN confiscated owned land? (I'm being sarcastic). Also, I'm assuming these are newer homes - so how could they be owned in the 19th century?

 
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