11 Palestinian families evicted after court found Jews owned their East Jerusalem homes before 1948
The Times of Israel • • world
Key Points:
- Eleven Palestinian families were evicted from their homes in East Jerusalem’s Silwan neighborhood following a Supreme Court ruling that recognized Jewish ownership of the properties before 1948, transferring them to the right-wing foundation Ateret Cohanim.
- The evictions are based on a 1970 law allowing Jews who lost property before Israel's establishment to reclaim it, despite some courts acknowledging Palestinians' legal rights to the homes.
- Palestinian families and human rights groups, including Peace Now and B’Tselem, condemned the evictions as ethnic cleansing and part of a broader displacement of around 2,200 Palestinians in Silwan.
- Israeli authorities justify the evictions using historical documents and the trusteeship of the Benvenisti Trust, while evicted homes are often demolished or handed over to Jewish nationalists who visibly assert their presence in the predominantly Palestinian neighborhood.
- The ongoing evictions have heightened tensions in Silwan, where hundreds of Jewish activists now live amidst approximately 50,000 Palestinians.
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