Friday, March 12, 2010

Sheikh Jarrah

Sheikh Jarrah is an Arab neighborhood in north Jerusalem. It is in the news now because of the demonstrations each week against Jews resettling in the area. It has become a flashpoint for all the leftist Israeli and international groups supporting the Arab protesters. There have been clashes with the riot police and last week about 20 were hurt on each side.

First a word about the relevant history of Sheikh Jarrah. In 1947, before the war of independence had broken out, a convoy of doctors and nurses were being transported to the Hadassah Hospital on Mount Scopus. It had to follow the twisting road through Sheikh Jarrah, where is was ambushed. Even though it was a protected convoy and there had been an agreement to allow it to pass, since it contained only medical personnel, nevertheless the Arabs attacked the convoy. Although it took many hours, and a British Army patrol passed nearby, no requests for help were heeded, and eventually all 78 people in the convoy were killed. Many of the attackers had been the local people of Sheikh Jarrah. After that the Hadassah Hospital on Mount Scopus was isolated during the war and a new hospital had to be build in West Jerusalem, and the original one was only reunited with Israel in 1967.

Now it so happens that in Sheikh Jarrah there was an area of houses that had been owned by Jews. After the War of Independence in 1948 that section was inside the Jordanian held area, and the Jordanian Office of Enemy Property allocated the houses to the UN for Palestinian refugees. They were supposed to pay a fee or rent to the UN for the houses, but most of them never did. When the area was repatriated by Israel in 1967 the Palestinians were given a choice, either pay rent to the Jewish owners or leave. Some did pay rent, but some did not and continued to live there free of charge. Some of the Jewish owners went to court claiming their houses back, but of course the Palestinians after 60 years claimed that they owned the land. However, when the case went to the Supreme Court of Israel, they ruled in favor of the Jewish owners who were able to substantiate their claims with documents and legal proof. However, still some of the families, who had grown in size, refused to budge and had to be evicted with force. Now they come back every week, supported by a phalanx of red-flag waving internationalists. It has become something of a cause celebre.

The question is, should not the law be followed, since the Supreme Court, after hearing all the evidence has ruled. But, the leftists and Palestinians don't accept this, after all it is an Israeli Court, so what do you expect it to find (even though the Israeli Courts have an excellent name for independence and have often found on behalf of Arabs). This is part of a general Arab-Jewish clash of claims over Jerusalem, including the Shimon Hatzaddik neighborhood, the Gan Hamelech development in Silwan, Ramat Shlomo where the plan for 1,600 units caused such a diplomatic furore recently and many others. However, opening Jewish homes in Arab areas to court rulings can have the effect of opening formerly Arab-owned homes in Jewish areas to the same treatment.

On Wednesday I was in Jerusalem and saw a lot of construction throughout Western Jerusalem, and this is mirrored by Jewish building activity in East Jerusalem. Since Jerusalem has been annexed to Israel there is no limitation as far as Israel is concerned, but most countries, especially the Arabs, do not recognize this annexation and regard East Jerusalem merely as part of "occupied territory." Either in time they will have to come to terms with Jewish control over Jerusalem, of they will try to fight a war over it, and hopefully lose. In either case, they are currently using the Israeli actions in Jerusalem as an excuse for avoiding negotiations.

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