The post below refers to a story included in Seham's rundown earlier today. The AFP article we linked to indicated that the settlers had left the Kirresh home, this eyewitness account tells a much different story:
Yonatan Shapira has sent me the following account of events unfolding at the Kirresh family home in the Muslim Quarter in Jerusalem. Settlers from the fanatical group Ateret Cohanim, have taken over the home of a Palestinian family of more than 50 people. The settlers are being protected by Israeli police, who guard the door while the Kirresh family sits outside in the street with no protection.
It is close to midnight and I am standing outside on a narrow street in the Muslim Quarter, very close to Herod's Gate. We are standing in front of a very big house on As-Sadyya Street. The Kirresh family has lived in this house for seventy-four years. Close to fifty people live in the apartments inside this two or three story house.
Last night the Kirresh family went to a cousin’s wedding in East Jerusalem. They came back from the wedding and found out that Settlers from Ateret Cohanim had come with the police and taken over their house. About thirty young male settlers are in the house, and it is completely occupied by them, except for one apartment that is still being held by the one family member who just didn't go to the wedding. That family member is still inside the house, in his room! The settlers are in the other rooms-- it's a big house, maybe two or three floors, and they are just walking around inside, sitting around and singing, as if all these Palestinian people were not outside looking at them.
The whole atmosphere is like theater- it's a beautiful street, the houses are built of stone, it's so old and majestic. And the police are guarding the door, making sure that the settlers can continue to stay in the house. Standing close to the door, I overheard the conversation between a police officer and settler inside the house. I heard the police officer saying to one of the settlers, ‘We are on your side, we are here to protect you.’Aside from the Kirresh family, a few members of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) and Israeli BDS activists joined in standing witness outside the house. People are sitting on chairs, leaning on the walls out in the street. A child is sleeping under a blanket here next to me, and there are women and babies. They are all waiting for a court decision. Basically, the settlers came and literally stole the house, and now the place is being guarded by the police so the residents of the house cannot go in. On Friday morning, we intend to return with many more activists, to support the Kirresh family in regaining their home.
Here is a statement from a Kirresh family member, Sulaiman:“Last night there was a wedding in the family, and when the people came home they found that the settlers had already entered by force with the police, with no court ruling. We managed to get a court order to evict them and the police refused to evict them. Then we got a second court order, the police refused again. Now we have to wait until Sunday when we can go to court again.
By that time our nine families who live in the building will have had no place to sleep for four nights- fifty people in total, women and children, staying in the street outside of their house. There was only one family who didn't go to the wedding, and they are still inside.
This extended family has been living in this house with their parents since 1936, for seventy-four years, they are the owners of the house, so they are protected by the law, and should not be evicted by anyone.”
Wondering Jew,
Can you comment on this one, pls?
Saleema
You won’t see any of them around when a post doesn’t present an angle however acute to shoot back at you. This post is bullet-proof.
Because he claims to be a resident of Jerusalem, I really want to hear his take on it. Besides, he said I can pick three posts that I want him to comment on and we will hold a civilized conversation about it.
I once tried to do that with Witty. Didn’t work. He snuck off.
I hope WJ shows up.
“I once tried to do that with Witty. Didn’t work.”
Saleema…You don’t have a dialog (sic) with Witty. You sit down and listen to Plato teaching under a tree.
Saleema- I hardly ever walk through the Moslem Quarter of the Old City. When I do walk through there I get the feeling that the people who live and shop there are used to two types of Jews- Haredi Jews (we used to call them black hatters) passing through on the way to the Wall and settler Jews (with square shoulders and not giving an inch on the sidewalk) come to assert ownership of turf. I fit into neither stereotype, but I am Jewish.
It seems strange that the settlers in this case would go into a house without an eviction notice from the courts. (I guess “strange” is not the word.) I tend to make assumptions. In this case I assume that in 1936, 74 years ago, the home belonged to someone Jewish and it is upon that basis that they are making their claim. 1936 was the year of the beginning of the “Arab revolt” of ’36 to ’39 and it fits into my version of history that because of tensions/threats of violence, that a family that owned a home in the Muslim Quarter might have abandoned it and moved to a safer neighborhood.
My own position is that given the fact that Muslims who left property in Israel (in 1948) are not able to reclaim it, that it is unfair and unjust for Jews who left property (before 1948) to reclaim it. That is my position regarding the home in Sheikh Jarrah and (according to the scenario that I drew above) that would be my position regarding this home in the Muslim Quarter. To make it worse, that this action was taken without a court order, whereas Sheikh Jarrah occurred after a court order, makes it illegal and that the police are protecting them despite the lack of a court order is rather outrageous. Also provocative and I prefer there to be a sense of calm in Jerusalem streets, rather than anger and confrontation.
I just read VR’s comment explaining the circumstances of the new ownership which should not entail the right to evict. I voted for Barakat because his opponent represented the Haredi community and not the secular community, but it turns out that Barakat is an ideologue and a troublemaker and my hope is that the Haredi and secular communities can come up with a compromise candidate to replace Barakat in the next election which is still more than two years away. Unfortunately (but for understandable reasons) the Arabs of East Jerusalem do not vote and thus their interests are not represented at the ballot box without someone voting on their behalf.
wj – thanks for sharing a response on this… to quote one isolated comment from you “that the police are protecting them despite the lack of a court order is rather outrageous.” some of us here have another name for this and it isn’t the polite word – outrageous…
And where do the BILLIONS of dollars (equivalent) that Israel extorts from Germany every year factor into this calculation for you? Out of curiosity. How about the billions in US aid, for that matter?
Anyway, total false equivalence. Jews who left land got land handed to them from land stolen from actual native Palestinians who you — rather euphemistically — claim had “left.” Those same Palestinians have nothing.
No wonder you’re happy with the status quo.
“Unfortunately (but for understandable reasons) the Arabs of East Jerusalem do not vote and thus their interests are not represented at the ballot box without someone voting on their behalf.”
Soounds exactly like an apartheid regime!
Wondering Jew,
You know what I like about this? It is straightforward and there is no flowery language, and you come across as a person. Not a Zionist, even though you may ascribe to that ideology in some shape or form.
Witty–are you paying attention?
Anyway, good point. On the face of it, I agree with what you have said. It may very well be the case that the house may have belonged to a Jew at some point. Or it may not.
But do you believe that all houses and lands taken over by settlers were once Jewish, abandoned hastily and to which they never returned? Do you concede that not all deeds shown by the settlers are authentic? That they are bogus and that the Israeli government helps to hide the fact in such circumstances?
thankgodimathiest,
(Good God, i feel sacrilegious just saying your name :) )
You think he’s been bonked on the head by apples too many times?
“You think he’s been bonked on the head by apples too many times?”
Considering the gravity of his condition one should think so, yes!:0)
“(Good God, i feel sacrilegious just saying your name :) )”
Not to worry Saleema, I’ve been feeling like that for a long time and nothing happened to me (touch wood):).
“You think he’s been bonked ”
Hmm, Saleema.. I wouldn’t use that word if I were you because if he was “bonked” it was certainly not in that part of his anatomy..
Ok, so I’m sorry, there!
lol
hahahaha
:) I just love Witty jokes. Seriously. :)
wj, the comments you are making here are meaningful to me, thank you.
“I just love Witty jokes.”
I doubt he made any..His lack of sense of humor is legendary..I thought I made them up..
Btw, I wanted to thank you Saleema for your ‘Today in Palestine’ headlines. It’s a huge contribution to this site. Needless to say that I shamelessly use them for my blog..
Or was Seham? Oh, dear!
With all those Ayrabs looking the same, no wonder I mistook Saleema for Seham…
Sorry wj, you cannot parse this with an election, it is activity taking place all over Palestine. It is not the vote which is in question, voting is merely establishing the current course, because no matter who you vote for the process of cleansing continues. Perhaps if everyone tries hard enough you can vote your way out of the occupation – what utter nonsense.
Unfortunately (but for understandable reasons) the Arabs of East Jerusalem do not vote and thus their interests are not represented at the ballot box without someone voting on their behalf.
It is not that they do not vote, they are prevented from voting, either in Palestinian or Israeli elections.
Saleema- When I make a statement like “I make assumptions”, it is my way of saying that I don’t know the facts and my prejudices lead me in a specific direction. I haven’t studied the ownership papers of the buildings and I have no way of knowing if they are real or not. Certainly ideologues who wish to kick others out of the land are not above forging documents, but I “assume” the Israeli courts are honest enough to establish the validity of any documents.
On the points that others have made: Yes, I understand that Barakat is part of a trend and not a lone individual and thus an election will not make the difference. But as someone living in Jerusalem there is a difference between Teddy Kollek and those who have come after him and the attempt at cooperation (as existed under Kollek) although it may hide an underlying trend of creeping land grabs is still useful to keep tensions low and outright provocations to a minimum.
As far as the status quo: first I advocate a negotiated two state solution which will change the status quo and although it will not suffice for those who advocate more radical change, it would be change. Given the unlikelihood of a two state solution, the status quo is better than the alternative currently taking place.
As far as East Jerusalem Arabs not voting in Jerusalem elections it is my understanding that this is official Palestinian policy rather than Israeli policy. Voting in Israeli elections would only be permitted to citizens, but voting in municipal elections would be available to anyone who is a resident of Jerusalem, including Palestinians who refuse Israeli citizenship, but the policy is to boycott the votes for to participate in them would be to justify the occupation. If you have proof that this is not true, please link me to such proof.
What about the Israeli government preventing Palestinians from voting in PALESTINIAN elections? And before you say it, WJ, I’m refereing to non-Israeli citizens. Got anything to say about that? You think that’s “probably” a Palestinian policy too?
“I assume that in 1936, 74 years ago, the home belonged to someone Jewish and it is upon that basis that they are making their claim. ”
Wow. That’s largely the same rational Osama bin Laden asserts for Islam’s right to take back Spain and other European countries once strongholds of Islam.
Amazing how much all you semites have in common. But, then, the fight between Judaism and Islam is, at bottom, nothing more than a family spat…albeit one that’s become unbelievably expensive for the United States.
I will take it as a compliment. Seham seems like a very smart girl.
>> Wondering Jew,
>> You know what I like about this? It is straightforward and there is no flowery language, and you come across as a person. …
>> Witty–are you paying attention?
+1. Although I don’t agree with much of what WJ has to say, I do admire his ability to “keep it real”, something RW – despite his vast powers of pseudo-intellectualism and verbosity – is unable to do.
Zorro,
You wrote: Wow. That’s largely the same rational Osama bin Laden asserts for Islam’s right to take back Spain and other European countries once strongholds of Islam.
Really? Osama wants to do that? That’s just weird about Spain and European countries… I mean we’ve got enough problems in Muslim societies that we need to to a better job on…why would anyone, even a nut job, want to take back Spain, etc
Yeah…. from what I hear, Spain’s a great place to visit but not necessarily a great place to actually live.
wj’s probably gloating somewhere.
He actually lives in Jerusalem, he said. Maybe he’s too busy being what this article is talking about?
Wondering Jew:
“In this case I assume that in 1936, 74 years ago, the home belonged to someone Jewish and it is upon that basis that they are making their claim. 1936 was the year of the beginning of the “Arab revolt” of ‘36 to ‘39 and it fits into my version of history that because of tensions/threats of violence, that a family that owned a home in the Muslim Quarter might have abandoned it and moved to a safer neighborhood.”
Saleema:
“I agree with what you have said. It may very well be the case that the house may have belonged to a Jew at some point. Or it may not.”
Walid:
“This story is a reminder of an ugly facet to the conflict that Arabs prefer to keep under the rug; it’s about the legal sale by Palestinian, Lebanese or other Arab owners of some properties with tenants on them to Jews. When the Jews tried to claim what they had purchased, they were accused of chasing Palestinians off the land and stealing it, which of course was not the case on these fair and squarre bought-properties.”
If any of this is true, and I’m not saying it did not happen, why not go through court proceedings to attempt to figure out who actually owned the house? As Saleema points out below:
Saleema “But do you believe that all houses and lands taken over by settlers were once Jewish, abandoned hastily and to which they never returned? Do you concede that not all deeds shown by the settlers are authentic? That they are bogus and that the Israeli government helps to hide the fact in such circumstances?”
The problem is, with everything so lop-sided in favor of settlers, demolitions, and displacement, one is hard-pressed to find any sort of unbias or fairness when it comes to the Arab/Palestinian claim….who’s to trust/blame?
I mean, just look at this:
Israeli forces demolish Palestinian homes, shops
link to thenews.com.pk
RAMALLAH: Israeli authorities have demolished eight structures belonging to Palestinians in a residential area northwest of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. Al-Gharbi mayor Ghassan Abu Salem said more than a dozen military vehicles carrying armed soldiers arrived mid-morning Wednesday with military equipment to carry out the demolitions. “They immediately began tearing down the structures,” Abu Salem said. “They were homes and shops right on the main street, but the army said they were illegally built in ‘Area C’,” which falls under Israeli control.
I don’t know, but in my opinion this country could have been so much more than it is today: The settling jews could have most likely lived side-by-side in partnership with, rather than attempting to lord it over, the indigenous Palestinians to make this country a country for all its inhabitants to live in and prosper. It probably would have continued and emphasized, the model of co-existence that already existed in the country.
I would have admired them for that.
This is the work of Nir Barkat, the settler mayor of Jerusalem. The police are doing his work, making the city Aravenrein.
It seems that everywhere, the mafioso are the worst sorts, followed by the cops and “security services”. Then after that it’s the assorted riff raff of used car salespeople, advertising people, lawyers, sports team owners, child molesters, banksters, etc. These always occupy the bottom strata in any society, no matter what country, it appears.
Hayate,
You left out politicians.
Oops.
The fact of the matter is that the police are always aligned with the most reactionary crimminal elements no matter what the locale may be. It is designed to be this way. There is no possibility of reform, it is only to be dismantled.
Yes, demize, but history shows any replacement elements quickly forge their own police, yes? BTW, the majority of the Founding Fathers were lawyers. This fact alone, not to mention human nature, seems to be ignored by those who argue they want to return the US to the Constitution by eliminating all lawyers as possible candidates for public office (via the original 13th Amendment, which they say was effectively ratified way back in the day–original proposal–by a lawyer!).
“The settlers are being protected by Israeli police, who guard the door while the Kirresh family sits outside in the street with no protection…This extended family has been living in this house with their parents since 1936, for seventy-four years, they are the owners of the house, so they are protected by the law, and should not be evicted by anyone.””
So the final analysis is that Israel uses the entire apparatus of the state for illegal and racist activity. There is no protection, just persecution for the non-Zionist – it is not a state for people, but for ideology. There is no law, it is just pretend, and every institution is vitiated by the occupation. It is not a “Jewish state,” it is a Zionist state which has robbed Judaism and continues to rob other people. The only question that remains is, with iron clad ownership, what will be the excuse for the cleansing this time?
It’s obvious what the settlers are doing there with the help of the police is legally and morally wrong and another sampling in a very long line of thievery but from what’s written, the family doesn’t own the building but has been renting it for 73 years. Nonetheless, it should have been entitled to protection from eviction under Israeli rental protection laws in spite of Israel’s illegitimate annexation of Jerusalem.
This story is a reminder of an ugly facet to the conflict that Arabs prefer to keep under the rug; it’s about the legal sale by Palestinian, Lebanese or other Arab owners of some properties with tenants on them to Jews. When the Jews tried to claim what they had purchased, they were accused of chasing Palestinians off the land and stealing it, which of course was not the case on these fair and squarre bought-properties.
This story is somewhat similar to what was described above; it was reported that the Qarsh or Kirresh family had been renting the building for 73 years from a Suleiman Handal that emigrated to the US in the 1960s but whose grandchildren had sold it to Jewish settlers 23 years ago. If true, the family doesn’t own the house although it should still be under the protection of Israel rent control laws that prevent the eviction of tenants for as long as they’re paying the rent and not damaging the building. However, stronger than Israel’s rent control laws are its racist and ethnic cleansing policies.
Handal’s grandchildren, like other Palestinians that sold to Jews, must have gotten a handsome sum for the house, but this is another one to be swept with the others under the rug.
Walid,
You wrote: This story is a reminder of an ugly facet to the conflict that Arabs prefer to keep under the rug; it’s about the legal sale by Palestinian, Lebanese or other Arab owners of some properties with tenants on them to Jews
My mom’s always talking about that, whenever Palestine is mentioned. In fact, that’s about the only thing that she says. She says that when this was happening, the “Deobandi” Muslim scholars in India, issued a fatwa against selling land to the Jews at a time when Zionism was trying to make itself a home. The Deobandi scholars warned that the Jews will declare a state and will not tolerate the Palestinians.
She is especially critical, that as far as she knows, there were no such fatwas coming from the Arab scholars at that time. The Palestinians might have heeded their warnings or the fatwas more than the Indian scholars.
How much of it is true, I do not know. I have not attempted to look into it. I don’t know where to start. In fact, I haven’t even ever googled it to see if anything would come up.
Saleema and Mokhtar, the bona fide sales to Jews represented a very minute part of the properties that were grabbed by the Zionists, but they did happen, especially with absentee landlords that were happy to cash in from Jews willing to buy anything they could get their hands on and what the Zionists couldn’t buy, they stole. I’m just trying to point out that while most of the land was stolen, some of it had been bought fair and squarre by Jews.
This reality is behind the stringent laws in Palestinian territory against selling land to Jews. Because if the sale is illegal, it can’t be valid.
they thought of calling it zion, but it would have made the facade that much more obvious… i think you hit the nail on the head.. it is a zionist state which has robbed judaism and continues to rob others in order to continue to serve the zionists in their continued descent into a permanent state of fascism..
“So the final analysis is that Israel uses the entire apparatus of the state for illegal and racist activity. ”
How ironic: After America spent so much treasure (and some blood) to insure everyone was able to enjoy his civil rights equally here, increasingly scarce American tax dollars are being used to take away the civil rights of people in the “Holy” Land.
The Emperor’s New [old stock] Clothes.
As I wrote before, israeli society is a criminal society.
On the sale of Palestinian property to Israelis by absentee owners, I have heard – someone who knows, please comment – that if there is a family quarrel, say a quarrel among cousins about who inherits Grand dad’s house with disgruntled losers in the quarrel, or if there is a drug addict in the family, or a plain useless swindler, the said black sheep can “sell” the property to some settlers and disappear to Brazil or wherever. While in most places a clear title would be required in order to sell a piece of property, when it comes to any such cloudy business, the force of “law” is on the side of the Israeli purchaser. If the family complains that their renegade cousin did not own the property and had no right to sell it the answer is that the problem is between the cousins and the purchasers have paid for it and it is theirs.
Of course it is also true, as Walid points out, that in not only Israel (theoretically) but in the Arab world, tenants have the right to stay in a property as long as they are paying rent for it.
I wonder to whom these tenants were paying rent for the past 73 years?
homingpigeon,
You wrote: Of course it is also true, as Walid points out, that in not only Israel (theoretically) but in the Arab world, tenants have the right to stay in a property as long as they are paying rent for it.
In Pakistan (witnessed by my own eyes), tenants can stay even when not paying rent and in most cases you can’t do shit. You can harass them, beg them, threaten them with words or gather the neighbors and get them to reason with the tenants. Sometimes it works. Sometimes, the tenants leave without paying the last couple of months rent due.
Life is so sweet in Pakistan. Only if it didn’t have all those other problems…
Homingpigeon, there’s a good chance these people were not paying any rent at all for most of the past years or if they were, it was probably some ridiculous amount that probably cost the landlord more to process than the actual value of the rental income and probably stopped collecting or bothering with the rent. There are people living in rented flats in Beirut having a market value of close to a million dollars because of their locations and paying an annual rent of less than $150 a month because of the rental laws in effect from the early 1950s and there is nothing a landlord can do to raise the rent or to evict them unless he needs the flat for his personal residence or for one of his sons (not daughters) and for which he must compensate the tennant for up to 40% of the FMV of the anticipated value of the apartment once renovated. As to the tenant, if he has a son that is married or single still living with him or an unmarried daughter still living at home when he dies, the perpetual rights to the lease are automaticalled transferred transferred to them and so on for ever and ever. The daughter loses that right if and when she marries and the son loses his rights if he owns another residential property within 10 km as the crow flies from the rented property. These laws are absurd and wicked as far as landlords are concerned.
what a surprise Israelis have no use for the law when it gets in the way of what they want even if it is their own damn laws. this is a society that clearly needs to have something done to clean it up.
this is so crushing. everyday something else, something more. it is beyond words.
And this crushing reality, day after day, is totally unknown by nearly all Americans. The internet is slowly changing this intended ignorance–so long as Senator Lieberman does not get his full way.
“this is so crushing. everyday something else, something more. it is beyond words.”
So much so that even when I laugh, I feel guilty..Damn them! May those bastards will never be able to tell their wives from their mums, ever again..
The Qarash Family situation:
link to montrealgazette.com
Off topic but interesting news::Desmond Tutu backs U.S. food co-op boycott of Israeli products”
“South African Nobel laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu issues statement of support for boycott announced by food co-op in Rachel Corrie’s hometown of Olympia, Washington.
link to haaretz.com
Look at the hateful comments @ Haaretz….
They seem to be increasingly targeted for the wrath of the right-wing/
“Oil Tanker Ship Hit in Apparent Attack Near Strait of Hormuz”
Explosion near the Strait of Hormuz damages ship
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines says one of its oil tankers may have been attacked Wednesday near the Strait of Hormuz, the major Middle Eastern transit point for much of the world’s oil.
The Japanese carrier said an explosion “which seemed to be an attack from external sources” damaged the M. Star’s hull as the ship was passing through Oman’s territorial waters west of the strait.
link to joc.com
Has anyone yet been able to reach Chaim Saban for his opinion on this?
Perhaps Mr. Saban would be pleased if the LAPD were to assist the denizens of East LA and Watts in making themselves at home at his estate?