Palestinian Families in Sheikh Jarrah Reject Eviction Compromise

Four extended Palestinian families living in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem rejected a Supreme Court compromise that would prevent them from being evicted from the homes they have lived in for several decades. The deal would have allowed them to stay on as protected tenants for at least 15 years, and requiring them to pay a symbolic rent of about $750 a year to their Jewish landlords. The homes were built on land owned by Jews before 1948, that have been reclaimed by the Jewish organization Nahalat Shimon.

Agreeing to the deal would have “paved the way for the expropriation of the rights to our lands,” the families said in a statement.

In light of the rejection of the compromise, the Supreme Court justices will have to rule on the Palestinian residents’ appeal against the original eviction order.

Tension and violence between Jews and Palestinians in the neighborhood is considered to be one of the main catalysts behind the 11-day cross-border conflict between Gaza and Israel in May, which saw rockets fired from Gaza into Jerusalem.