AL-KURD FAMILY EVICTED IN EAST JERUSALEM;

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 002011 SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE. NSC FOR ABRAMS/RAMCHAND/PASCUAL E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/22/2017 TAGS: KWBG PGOV PREL PTER PHUM KPAL IS SUBJECT: AL-KURD FAMILY EVICTED IN EAST JERUSALEM; RESIDENTS FEAR MORE TO COME REF: A. JERUSALEM 01509 ¶B. JERUSALEM 01389 ¶C. JERUSALEM 01257 Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, per reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary. Israeli police evicted the al-Kurd family from their home in East Jerusalem's Shaykh Jarrah neighborhood on November 9. Local residents fear this will be the first of many such evictions in the neighborhood. Palestinian homeowners in Shaykh Jarrah said at least 27 other families are threatened with eviction, and a Jerusalem Municipality representative told PolOff as many as 40 homes could be razed to make way for new Israeli construction. PA officials condemned the eviction. End Summary. AL-KURD FAMILY EVICTED FROM EAST JERUSALEM HOME -------------- -- ¶2. (U) Israeli police evicted an elderly Palestinian couple from their home in East Jerusalem's Shaykh Jarrah neighborhood on November 9. Israeli press reported that the eviction was based on a Jerusalem court's July ruling that the al-Kurds must evacuate the property until ownership is resolved. An Israeli policeman at the site told PolOff that the Israeli family living in half of the al-Kurds' home was not evicted, despite an eviction order dating from February 2007 (Refs B and C). RESIDENTS FEAR FURTHER EVICTIONS WILL MAKE WAY FOR ISRAELI CONSTRUCTION -------------- ¶3. (C) Local residents told PolOff on November 9 that they feared the al-Kurds would be the first of many families evicted in their neighborhood. Maher Hanoun, who was recently released from prison after refusing to vacate his home (Ref A),told PolOff that 27 additional homes in Shaykh Jarrah are subject to eviction orders. He said an Israeli development company intends to demolish the neighborhood to build 200 residential units and a commercial center. ¶4. (C) Husni Abu Hussein, a lawyer representing several Shaykh Jarrah families, told PolOff November 10 that the Israeli Supreme Court is currently reviewing the case of the al-Ghawi property, near the al-Kurd home. He said that judges told him November 10 that Mr. al-Ghawi would not be evicted before a December court hearing. Abu Hussein said the al-Kurds received a similar promise, but the courts did not intervene when the police began the eviction. ¶5. (C) Deputy Political Advisor for International Affairs to Jerusalem's Mayor Elad Halevy told PolOff November 9 that as many as 40 families in Shaykh Jarrah have received eviction orders -- some of them Israelis -- and that all of them will eventually be expelled to make way for new construction. He said the case against these families is in the courts and the Municipality cannot intervene. PALESTINIAN OFFICIALS CONDEMN ISRAELI ACTIONS -------------- ¶6. (C) Advisor to President Abbas Issa Qassassieh told PolOff the eviction of the al-Kurd family demonstrates that Israeli courts are biased against Palestinians. He said Fawzia al-Kurd cannot recover property her family lost in West Jerusalem, but the courts frequently turn East Jerusalem properties over to Israelis. Jerusalem-based PLC member Bernard Sabella said Israeli actions -- such as evictions and home demolitions -- risk sparking violence. WALLES