Skip to main content

Israeli court postpones ruling on East Jerusalem evictions

The Jerusalem court delayed ruling on whether two Palestinians families must vacate their homes in favor of Israeli settlers in the Silwan neighborhood.
This picture shows a view of the predominantly Arab neighbourhood of Silwan, just outside the Old City in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, on Nov. 9, 2020.

A court in Israel delayed a ruling on Palestinian families facing eviction from the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan.

A similar eviction issue involving the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood helped set off the most recent round of Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

Dozens protested outside the Jerusalem District Court on Wednesday morning, which was set to hear a petition filed over the planned displacement of two families from Silwan. The judges said they will rule only after the country's Supreme Court rules on similar appeals.

The two families whose cases were due to be heard Wednesday are among a group of seven Palestinian families from Silwan whose evictions a court approved in 2020. 

Home to some 33,000 Palestinians, Silwan is located south of Jerusalem’s Old City. Israel captured Silwan, along with the rest of East Jerusalem, in 1967, and then annexed what is considered to be occupied territory by much of the international community. 

A 1970 Israeli property law allows land to be reclaimed if Jewish ownership prior to Israel's founding in 1948 can be proven. Settler groups have used the law to launch a wave of lawsuits seeking to evict Palestinians from their homes and transfer their property to Jews. 

The United Nations estimates roughly 1,000 Palestinians across East Jerusalem — nearly half of them children — are at risk of eviction. Earlier this month, the UN’s human rights office warned that the forcible transfer of Palestinians is “prohibited under international humanitarian law and may amount to a war crime.” 

Ateret Cohanim, a settler organization with the backing of the Israeli government, has tried to evict some 100 families from the Batn al-Hawa area in Silwan, according to Amnesty International. The settler group says that more than a century ago the land belonged to a Jewish trust.

In a statement ahead of the court’s ruling Wednesday, Amnesty called on Israel’s authorities to immediately halt what the rights group denounced as land grabs. 

“By continuing to pursue this court case — after the outcry over the planned forced evictions in Sheikh Jarrah in occupied East Jerusalem — Israel is fanning the flames of the latest upsurge in violence,” Amnesty's Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Saleh Higazi, said. 

Like Silwan, a number of Palestinian families are at risk of eviction from East Jerusalem's Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood. Their potential displacement helped sparked the protests that touched off the latest round of fighting between Hamas and Israel. 

An Egyptian-mediated cease-fire brought an end to the 11-day conflict last week. More than 250 people died in the Israeli airstrikes and Hamas rocket attacks, the vast majority of them Palestinians.

Join hundreds of Middle East professionals with Al-Monitor PRO.

Business and policy professionals use PRO to monitor the regional economy and improve their reports, memos and presentations. Try it for free and cancel anytime.

Already a Member? Sign in

Free

The Middle East's Best Newsletters

Join over 50,000 readers who access our journalists dedicated newsletters, covering the top political, security, business and tech issues across the region each week.
Delivered straight to your inbox.

Free

What's included:
Our Expertise

Free newsletters available:

  • The Takeaway & Week in Review
  • Middle East Minute (AM)
  • Daily Briefing (PM)
  • Business & Tech Briefing
  • Security Briefing
  • Gulf Briefing
  • Israel Briefing
  • Palestine Briefing
  • Turkey Briefing
  • Iraq Briefing
Expert

Premium Membership

Join the Middle East's most notable experts for premium memos, trend reports, live video Q&A, and intimate in-person events, each detailing exclusive insights on business and geopolitical trends shaping the region.

$25.00 / month
billed annually

Become Member Start with 1-week free trial
What's included:
Our Expertise AI-driven

Memos - premium analytical writing: actionable insights on markets and geopolitics.

Live Video Q&A - Hear from our top journalists and regional experts.

Special Events - Intimate in-person events with business & political VIPs.

Trend Reports - Deep dive analysis on market updates.

All premium Industry Newsletters - Monitor the Middle East's most important industries. Prioritize your target industries for weekly review:

  • Capital Markets & Private Equity
  • Venture Capital & Startups
  • Green Energy
  • Supply Chain
  • Sustainable Development
  • Leading Edge Technology
  • Oil & Gas
  • Real Estate & Construction
  • Banking

We also offer team plans. Please send an email to pro.support@al-monitor.com and we'll onboard your team.

Already a Member? Sign in

Israel Briefing Israel Briefing

Israel Briefing

Top Israel stories in your inbox each week

Trend Reports

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (4th R) attends a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (3rd L) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on February 22, 2019. (Photo by HOW HWEE YOUNG / POOL / AFP) (Photo credit should read HOW HWEE YOUNG/AFP via Getty Images)
Premium

From roads to routers: The future of China-Middle East connectivity

A general view shows the solar plant in Uyayna, north of Riyadh, on March 29, 2018. - On March 27, Saudi announced a deal with Japan's SoftBank to build the world's biggest solar plant. (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP) (Photo credit should read FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images)
Premium

Regulations on Middle East renewable energy industry starting to take shape

Start your PRO membership today.

Join the Middle East's top business and policy professionals to access exclusive PRO insights today.

Join Al-Monitor PRO Start with 1-week free trial