New Settlement Project Threatens Palestinian Properties in Jerusalem
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- Published on Wednesday, 25 April 2012 11:08
PNN
On Wednesday, April 25th, Ahmed al-Rwaidi, Head of Jerusalem Unit in the presidency office, revealed information that settlement organizations are planning to seize the Palestinian properties of Sheikh Jarrah, Silwan and the Old City in Jerusalem.
This has come subsequent to the Israeli Central Court's decision concerning the appeal that was submitted by the lawyer of Elad association to confiscate the house of Jum'ah al- al-Rwaidi located in Wadi Hilwah neighborhood in Silwan.
Lawyer Ahmad al-Rweidi warned, in private statements, concerning the dangerous decisions that are taken in the Israeli courts about the Jerusalem properties, based on appeals the Israeli settlement communities are submitting to their courts. "We have confirmed the information about the settlement communities' intention to control properties in al-Sheikh Jarrah, Silwan and the Old City neighborhoods in Jerusalem," said al-Rweidi, " facilitations are given to these communities through: Falsification of documents, using the Absentee Property Law of 1951, and other laws that are being adapted to control the properties of Jerusalem."
He also insisted on the importance of seeking legal routes, and international agreements to protect Jerusalem properties.
Lawyer of Rwaidi's family, Victor Mansour, said that "the house was confiscated by using the Absentee Property Law, based on permission that was submitted by the lawyer of the Elad settlement association."
"After the confiscation, they sold the house to the Israeli Department of Construction and Development, upon which ownership was transferred to the Jewish National Kimmitt, which also leased it to the settlement Elad association." Said Mansour
Samir al- Rwaidi, one of the family members said "the ownership paper has been forged, and therefore, they were able to seize the house." Lawyer al- Rwaidi said that the issue of the house has been a case pending in the Israeli courts for more than 15 years, saying that there are continuous attempts by Israel to control the properties in the Wadi Hilwah neighborhood that extend from the old town wall south of al-Aqsa Mosque to the al-Bustan neighborhood that is under threat of being demolished and replaced with a park that Israel plans to call "King's park."
