50 Palestinians evicted from Jerusalem homes

[jimmy olsen]

Shit like this just ain't smart policy.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32259294/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/

50 Palestinians evicted from Jerusalem homes
Israeli police then allowed Jewish settlers to move into the houses

updated 3:10 p.m. ET, Sun., Aug 2, 2009

JERUSALEM - Israeli police evicted two Palestinian families in east Jerusalem on Sunday, then allowed Jewish settlers to move into their homes, drawing criticism from Palestinians, the United Nations and the State Department.

Police arrived before dawn and cordoned off part of the Arab neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah before forcibly removing more than 50 people, said Chris Gunness, spokesman for the U.N. agency in charge of Palestinian refugees.

U.N. staff later saw vehicles bringing Jewish settlers to move into the homes, he said.

Israeli police cited a ruling by the country's Supreme Court that the houses belonged to Jews and that the Arab families had been living there illegally.

Gunness said the families had lived in the homes for more than 50 years.

One of the most explosive issues
The status of east Jerusalem is one of the most explosive issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel took control of east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it, a move not recognized by any other country. Since then, Israel has to boosted the Jewish presence there, building neighborhoods where about 180,000 Jews live. The Palestinians want east Jerusalem as the capital of their hoped-for state.

Organizations linked to the Jewish West Bank settlement movement also have bought properties inside Palestinian neighborhoods in Jerusalem and moved Israelis in.

About 270,000 Palestinians live in east Jerusalem, or 35 percent of the city's total population of 760,000.

The international community has pressured Israel to refrain from evicting Palestinians and building new homes for Jews in east Jerusalem, saying such moves hamper peacemaking efforts.

State Department spokeswoman Megan Mattson said such actions in east Jerusalem constitute violations of Israel's obligations under U.S.-backed "road map" peace plan.

"Unilateral actions taken by either party cannot prejudge the outcome of negotiations and will not be recognized by the international community," she said in a statement.

Robert Serry, the U.N. Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, called Sunday's evictions "totally unacceptable."

"These actions heighten tensions and undermine international efforts to create conditions for fruitful negotiations to achieve peace," he said in a statement.

'Now our future is in the streets'
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat also condemned the move.

"While Israeli authorities have promised the American administration that home demolitions, home evictions and other provocations against Palestinian Jerusalemites would be stopped, what we've seen on the ground is completely the opposite," he said in a statement.

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Khawla Hanoun, 35, who lived in one of the homes, said police ordered her and 16 family members to leave the house before dawn and forced them out at gunpoint when they refused.

"Now our future is in the streets," she said. "We will remain steadfast until we return home. By any method, we must go back home."

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press

[Faeelin]

Wow, they're not even trying to stop the Nazi analogies anymore are they?

[Neil]

Khawla Hanoun, 35, who lived in one of the homes, said police ordered her and 16 family members to leave the house before dawn and forced them out at gunpoint when they refused.

"Now our future is in the streets," she said. "We will remain steadfast until we return home. By any method, we must go back home."

Shit like this is why the Palestinians can never make peace with Israel.

Of course, the Israelis are even worse, aren't they?

[jimmy olsen]

Godwin on the first reply, a new Languish record!

[Ed Anger]

Hopefully Caterpillar dozers were used.

[Faeelin]

Godwin on the first reply, a new Languish record!

Godwin is stupid, as who those are invoke it.

[Admiral Yi]

It would be nice to know if the court ruling was justified.

[Jaron]

This is why people who support Israel are stupid.

[Neil]

Godwin on the first reply, a new Languish record!

Godwin is stupid, as who those are invoke it.

Godwin was actually rather clever, but those who invoke Godwin's Law in invariably retarded.

Despite Tim's Patriotardedness, I've always treated him with some level of respect.  But this behavior is absolutely unacceptable, and brings him down to scarcely above Martinus.

[Faeelin]

It would be nice to know if the court ruling was justified.

If the residents had been living there for at least fifty years.... I'm dubious. But yea, I'd like more info about it too.

[Neil]

This is why people who support Israel are stupid.

Israelis are stupid.  People who support Israel are wise.

[HisMajestyBOB]

I'm not surprised to see this, the far right in Israel is generally comprised of assholes. Frankly, I don't see why we should even be involved there anymore. If Israel wants to keep building settlements, then leave them to it and let them deal for the consequences. And they can pay for their military on their own, without our subsidies.

[Valmy]

I'm not surprised to see this, the far right in Israel is generally comprised of assholes. Frankly, I don't see why we should even be involved there anymore. If Israel wants to keep building settlements, then leave them to it and let them deal for the consequences. And they can pay for their military on their own, without our subsidies.

That would be exactly what the religious right of Israel wants.

They think that when everybody is against Israel it will cause the Messiah to come...or something insane like that.

[Valmy]

Godwin on the first reply, a new Languish record!

Godwin is stupid, as who those are invoke it.

Not as stupid as the OMG ISRAEL = HITLER crowd...you know people like you.  But then the OMG ISLAM IZ DA FASCIST crowd cancels you out.

Anyway I am not sure what sort of stupid game Israel is playing but they seem to be working hard to tweak our noses and make Obama look foolish.

[Faeelin]

Not as stupid as the OMG ISRAEL = HITLER crowd...you know people like you.  But then the OMG ISLAM IZ DA FASCIST crowd cancels you out.

Anyway I am not sure what sort of stupid game Israel is playing but they seem to be working hard to tweak our noses and make Obama look foolish.

Sorry. When I read accounts of inferior races being moved out of their homes that they might be given to settlers, the first example that comes to mind is the Third Reich.