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Days of Palestine
2 days ago
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
Israeli High Court Orders Eviction of Two Palestinian Families in Silwan
DayofPal– Israel's High Court issued a ruling on Wednesday ordering the eviction of two Palestinian families, Shweiki and Odeh, from their homes in the Batan Al-Hawa neighborhood of Silwan, located just south of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The families have been given 30 days to vacate the properties, which are targeted by Israeli settler organizations seeking to expand control over Palestinian homes in the area. Among those facing eviction is 79-year-old Asmahan Shweiki, a lifelong resident of Silwan. Shweiki has endured decades of hardship under Israeli occupation, having lost two of her sons to Israeli gunfire, her son Zahri was killed in 1990 in the Al-Muraghah area of Silwan, and her other son, Nizar, was killed in 2000 inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Her husband also passed away in recent years. According to the Wadi Hilweh Information Center, the eviction order was originally issued in 2020 but was frozen by the Israeli attorney general. Recently, however, the case was abruptly reopened and assigned to a judge known for his far-right ideological leanings, who issued the eviction ruling without hearing full legal arguments from the families' defense. Batan Al-Hawa is among the most heavily targeted neighborhoods in occupied East Jerusalem, where settler organizations, with direct backing from Israeli authorities, have intensified efforts to take over Palestinian properties. These moves are part of a broader policy of forced displacement and demographic engineering in the Holy City. The latest court decision follows a series of settler-related developments in the area. Last month, the Israeli-run Jerusalem municipality announced the near completion of a new sports complex in the Ma'ale HaZeitim settlement, built on confiscated land in the Ras al-Amud area of Silwan. The complex, expected to officially open in 2026, is described as a 'safe and comfortable space for young settlers living in the heart of Arab neighborhoods,' a move widely seen as an effort to normalize settler presence in East Jerusalem. Ma'ale HaZeitim was first established in 1997 under then-mayor Ehud Olmert, following the seizure of land owned by the Palestinian Ghoul family. Since then, dozens of Jewish families have moved into homes taken from Palestinians, entrenching the settlement's foothold in the area. Additionally, on Wednesday, the municipality inaugurated a new public park on land belonging to Silwan residents, naming it 'Moshe Arens Park' after a former Israeli defense and foreign minister with ties to the pre-state Irgun militia, notorious for its role in violent attacks against Palestinians during the 1948 Nakba. This park is the ninth of its kind established on Palestinian land since October 7, 2023, as part of a broader effort to Judaize Jerusalem and encircle the Al-Aqsa Mosque with settler and municipal projects. Local and international rights organizations have condemned these measures as part of an ongoing strategy of displacement, annexation, and settlement expansion, which violate international law and threaten the fabric of Palestinian life in Jerusalem. Shortlink for this post:
Business Recorder
5 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
MP calls out lack of bomb shelters in Arab-Israeli communities
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Ayman Odeh, an Israeli member of parliament of Palestinian descent, accused the government on Sunday of failing to provide Arab-Israeli communities with enough shelters after an Iranian missile killed four people in the city of Tamra. 'The state, unfortunately, still distinguishes between blood and blood,' Odeh lamented on X, after touring the city of 37,000 predominantly Arab residents. A house there was destroyed by a missile launched by Iran overnight in response to Israel's unprecedented attacks on the Islamic republic's military and nuclear sites. 'Four civilians were killed yesterday: Manar al-Qassem Abu al-Hija Khatib (39), her two daughters Hala (13) and Shada (20), and their relative Manar Diab Khatib (41),' Odeh said, adding that 'dozens more' were wounded.
Yomiuri Shimbun
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Saudi Arabia Says Israel Shows ‘Extremism' by Blocking West Bank Visit
Reuters Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, attends the Ministerial Committee Assigned by the Joint Extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit on Gaza as they meet in Amman, Jordan, June 1, 2025. AMMAN, June 1 (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud said the Israeli government's refusal to allow a delegation of Arab ministers into the occupied West Bank showed its 'extremism and rejection of peace'. His statement came during a joint press conference in Amman with counterparts from Jordan, Egypt and Bahrain, after they met as part of an Arab contact group that was going to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. 'Israel's refusal of the committee's visit to the West Bank embodies and confirms its extremism and refusal of any serious attempts for (a) peaceful pathway .. It strengthens our will to double our diplomatic efforts within the international community to face this arrogance,' the Saudi minister said. On Saturday, Israel said it would not allow a planned meeting on Sunday that would have included ministers from Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Palestinian Authority officials said. Bin Farhan's visit to the West Bank would have marked the first such visit by a top Saudi official in recent memory. An Israeli official said the ministers intended to take part in a 'provocative meeting' to discuss promoting the establishment of a Palestinian state. Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said blocking the trip was another example of how Israel was 'killing any chance of a just and comprehensive' Arab-Israeli settlement. An international conference, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, is due to be held in New York on June 17-20 to discuss the issue of Palestinian statehood. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said the conference would cover security arrangements after a ceasefire in Gaza and reconstruction plans to ensure Palestinians would remain on their land and foil any Israeli plans to evict them. Commenting on blocking the visit, Israeli Arab lawmaker Ayman Odeh said the Arab foreign ministers' delegation aimed to end the Gaza war, enhance the Palestinian Authority's role, and support a Saudi-French U.N. initiative to set up a roadmap for a Palestinian state Odeh told Saudi state-owned Al Arabiya Television that the Saudi-French initiative could lead to broader international recognition of a Palestinian state, a move he said contradicts Israeli government policy. According to Odeh, the Israeli government seeks to undermine the Palestinian Authority because it views it as the 'nucleus of the Palestinian state.' He said Israel blocked the Arab foreign ministers' visit because it could have helped strengthen the Palestinian Authority. Israel has come under increasing pressure from the United Nations and European countries that favour a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, under which an independent Palestinian state would exist alongside Israel.
AsiaOne
02-06-2025
- Politics
- AsiaOne
Saudi Arabia says Israel shows 'extremism' by blocking West Bank visit, Asia News
AMMAN - Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud said the Israeli government's refusal to allow a delegation of Arab ministers into the occupied West Bank showed its "extremism and rejection of peace". His statement came during a joint press conference in Amman with counterparts from Jordan, Egypt and Bahrain, after they met as part of an Arab contact group that was going to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. "Israel's refusal of the committee's visit to the West Bank embodies and confirms its extremism and refusal of any serious attempts for (a) peaceful pathway .. It strengthens our will to double our diplomatic efforts within the international community to face this arrogance," the Saudi minister said. On Saturday (May 31), Israel said it would not allow a planned meeting on Sunday that would have included ministers from Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Palestinian Authority officials said. Bin Farhan's visit to the West Bank would have marked the first such visit by a top Saudi official in recent memory. An Israeli official said the ministers intended to take part in a "provocative meeting" to discuss promoting the establishment of a Palestinian state. Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said blocking the trip was another example of how Israel was "killing any chance of a just and comprehensive" Arab-Israeli settlement. An international conference, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, is due to be held in New York on June 17-20 to discuss the issue of Palestinian statehood. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said the conference would cover security arrangements after a ceasefire in Gaza and reconstruction plans to ensure Palestinians would remain on their land and foil any Israeli plans to evict them. Commenting on blocking the visit, Israeli Arab lawmaker Ayman Odeh said the Arab foreign ministers' delegation aimed to end the Gaza war, enhance the Palestinian Authority's role, and support a Saudi-French UN initiative to set up a roadmap for a Palestinian state Odeh told Saudi state-owned Al Arabiya Television that the Saudi-French initiative could lead to broader international recognition of a Palestinian state, a move he said contradicts Israeli government policy. According to Odeh, the Israeli government seeks to undermine the Palestinian Authority because it views it as the "nucleus of the Palestinian state." He said Israel blocked the Arab foreign ministers' visit because it could have helped strengthen the Palestinian Authority. Israel has come under increasing pressure from the United Nations and European countries that favour a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, under which an independent Palestinian state would exist alongside Israel. [[nid:717970]]
Straits Times
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Saudi Arabia says Israel shows ‘extremism' by blocking West Bank visit
Prince Faisal's visit to the West Bank would have marked the first such visit by a top Saudi official in recent memory. PHOTO: AFP AMMAN - Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud said the Israeli government's refusal to allow a delegation of Arab ministers into the occupied West Bank showed its 'extremism and rejection of peace'. His statement came during a joint press conference in Amman with counterparts from Jordan, Egypt and Bahrain, after they met as part of an Arab contact group that was going to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. 'Israel's refusal of the committee's visit to the West Bank embodies and confirms its extremism and refusal of any serious attempts for (a) peaceful pathway... It strengthens our will to double our diplomatic efforts within the international community to face this arrogance,' the Saudi minister said. On May 31, Israel said it would not allow a planned meeting on June 1 that would have included ministers from Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Palestinian Authority officials said. Prince Faisal's visit to the West Bank would have marked the first such visit by a top Saudi official in recent memory. An Israeli official said the ministers intended to take part in a 'provocative meeting' to discuss promoting the establishment of a Palestinian state. Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said blocking the trip was another example of how Israel was 'killing any chance of a just and comprehensive' Arab-Israeli settlement. An international conference, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, is due to be held in New York on June 17 to June 20 to discuss the issue of Palestinian statehood. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said the conference would cover security arrangements after a ceasefire in Gaza and reconstruction plans to ensure Palestinians would remain on their land and foil any Israeli plans to evict them. Commenting on blocking the visit, Israeli Arab lawmaker Ayman Odeh said the Arab foreign ministers' delegation aimed to end the Gaza war, enhance the Palestinian Authority's role, and support a Saudi-French UN initiative to set up a roadmap for a Palestinian state Mr Odeh told Saudi state-owned Al Arabiya Television that the Saudi-French initiative could lead to broader international recognition of a Palestinian state, a move he said contradicts Israeli government policy. According to Mr Odeh, the Israeli government seeks to undermine the Palestinian Authority because it views it as the 'nucleus of the Palestinian state.' He said Israel blocked the Arab foreign ministers' visit because it could have helped strengthen the Palestinian Authority. Israel has come under increasing pressure from the United Nations and European countries that favour a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, under which an independent Palestinian state would exist alongside Israel. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
