Sheikh Jarrah residents reject court’s proposal to negotiate with settlers

Palestinian families facing forcible eviction from their homes in occupied East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood yesterday rejected the Israeli Supreme Court’s proposal to reach a deal with Jewish settlers regarding the ownership of their homes.

Last Sunday, the Supreme Court gave the families until Thursday to reach a deal with Israeli Jewish settlers; requiring them to pay the Israeli settlers rent for their homes until the current owners pass away and then the properties would be assigned to the settlers, not to their heirs.

Yesterday. Sami Irsheid, the lawyer of Sheikh Jarrah families, said he had submitted to the court a notification that no agreement was made with the settlers concerning their alleged ownership claims, and said the families were waiting for the court’s ruling.

He added that the families had also submitted a new request for appeal in order to submit more data to confirm their ownership of the land and homes in Sheikh Jarrah.

The European Union called on Israel to cancel its decision to build new settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, warning Tel Aviv of the repercussions of displacing Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem.

Last year, the Israeli District Court in Jerusalem decided to evict 12 Palestinian families from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah and surrender the houses to Israeli settlers.

A spokesperson for Sheikh Jarrah families, Aref Hammad, said the families have appealed to the Supreme Court, where three judges were supposed to hear the case, but only one judge was appointed to the case.

“The judge suggested that we negotiate with the settlers, but she did not propose any alternative,” he added.

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