April 18, 2012

Israeli soldiers and policemen displaced resident Khaled An-Natsha and his family from their home in Al-Ashqariyya area, in Beit Hanina, north of Israeli controlled East Jerusalem. The eviction came following a court order that granted Israeli settlers ownership over the property.

The Palestinian News and Info Agency, WAFA, reported that the soldiers also detained An-Natsha after "arguing with the soldiers".

The Israeli District Court in Jerusalem previously issued an eviction notice ordering An-Natsha to vacate the property, claiming that the land on which his home is built belonged to a Jewish man since 1936.

Earlier this month, resident Mohammad Al-Joulani, also in Al-Ashqariyya, received a court ruling ordering him to leave his home, and informing him that the property will be demolished by April 22. Israel claims that the home was illegally constructed.

Residents of Al-Ashqariyya stated that Israeli soldiers and settlers "are working hand in hand in order to occupy a large number of Palestinian homes and property in different part of Israeli controlled East Jerusalem in order to build and expand Jewish-only settlements".

The Natsha and Joulani families stated that they have been under constant harassment by Israeli soldiers and settlers over several years, and repeatedly forced to pay exaggerated fines imposed by the Jerusalem Municipality.

The settlers - heavily financed by wealthy Jewish individuals, including Jewish-American Billionaire, Erving Moscovitch - are planning to build 60 units in the place of An-Natsha's home and its surrounding land, with the intent to create a new settlement in the heart of the Al-Ashqariyya Palestinian neighborhood.

Home demolitions, the ongoing takeover of Palestinian homes in Israeli controlled East Jerusalem, and the daily invasions and attacks carried out by settlers and soldiers in the West Bank contributed to the end of the direct peace talks between the Palestinian Authority of President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank with Tel Aviv.

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