Testimony of Resident Eviction at Sheikh Jarrah, Jerusalem

Testimony of Resident Eviction at Sheikh Jarrah, Jerusalem:

Related news:
UN Quartet, European Union Call on Israel to Halt Evictions in Sheikh Jarrah
Source: AIC
This afternoon (19 July 2009) in Sheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem, nearly 60 Palestinian, Israeli, and International supporters turned out in solidarity with the Hanoun and Ghawi families, whose final eviction orders became effective at 12:00pm today.

In a show of unity at the highest levels, prominent figures such as the UN representative of the Quartet on the Middle East, the Consul General of current European Union President, Sweden, Nils Eliasson, and the chief representative of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Rafik al-Husseini, called on Israel to cease the demolition of Palestinian homes, and stressed their expectation that the eviction of this family will not occur in the future. The Vice President of the European Union Parliament, Luisa Morgantini, made clear the EU's stance on Jerusalem—that it should be a capital for two states, shared by two people. In a spin on US President Barack Obama's campaign slogan, which has become a source of inspiration for the Hanoun family and residents of Sheikh Jarrah, Morgantiui said "yes we can" stop the current Israeli policy of Palestinian home evictions and demolitions in East Jerusalem.

Dozens of supporters, wearing Hebrew stickers that read "I am Maher Hanoun, come and arrest me," displayed their solidarity with the Sheikh Jarrah father who faces imminent imprisonment by the local authorities. Maher Hanoun was given the following ultimatum by the courts: either abandon your home by this date, or face indefinite jail time and exorbitant fines of 50,000 NIS + $50,000. The Hanoun family (including a wife and three children), with the support of the international community, has chosen to defy the courts and remain in their home, in hopes that the Israeli government will somehow change its stance.

Although the arrest and forceful eviction did not take place this afternoon, the stress of their imminence weighs heavily on the Hanoun family. Because it is no secret to those who have heard the stories of evicted Palestinian families in East Jerusalem—evictions and arrests don't take place in daylight, in front of cameras and foreign dignitaries, but rather under the cloak of darkness, when the international supporters are sleeping peacefully at home in their beds.



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