A few weeks ago I reported on the slated removal of Palestinians from their homes in East Jerusalem. Today, after the horrific killings in Tel Aviv last night at a gay venue, the Israelis took advantage of a distracted media and finally moved in:
Police on Sunday morning evacuated two Palestinian families from homes in Sheikh Jarrah, east Jerusalem, after the Supreme Court ruled that the properties were under the ownership of Jewish families.
The evacuation was carried out by large police forces without any serious disturbances, and the Jewish families arrived at the scene ready to move into the homes.
The Arab families cooperated with police after they were given notices about the evacuation several weeks ago, but they nevertheless expressed anger at the move.
“I was born in this house and my children were also born in this house. I have documents from the Jordanian government,” Maher Hanun, one of the evacuees, told Army Radio. “Now the settlers have moved into my home and I’m on the street. Where will I go?”
The eviction was carried out amid US pressure to cease Jewish construction in east Jerusalem.
The houses in question are located near the Shepherd’s Hotel, where Washington recently protested plans to construct 20 new apartments.