The Israeli authorities’ decision to evict a Palestinian family from their home in Jerusalem’s Old City is the latest example of a long-standing trend of Israeli settlers encroaching on Palestinian neighborhoods with the government’s backing. The Ghaith-Sub Laban family, who had lived in the apartment for decades, were forcibly removed by police officers early on Tuesday morning, with their access to the property subsequently blocked.
The eviction is widely regarded as a sign of the Israeli government’s efforts to assert its control over the contested city, which has been at the center of tensions between Israelis and Palestinians for decades. The family’s home, which was once owned by a Jewish trust, is just one of many properties that have been seized by Israeli settlers in recent years.
According to the United Nations humanitarian office, nearly 1,000 Palestinians, including 424 children, currently face eviction in east Jerusalem. The Ghaith-Sub Laban family’s eviction is just the latest example of a broader trend of displacement and dispossession of Palestinians in the city.
The Israeli government has long claimed that its actions in the city are necessary to counter the threat of Palestinian terrorism and to protect Jewish lives. However, many experts and human rights groups have argued that the government’s policies are in fact designed to displace Palestinians and ensure Jewish dominance over the city.
The Ghaith-Sub Laban family
The Ghaith-Sub Laban family’s eviction has sparked widespread outcry and protests, with many Palestinians and international organizations condemning the Israeli government’s actions as illegal and discriminatory. The family itself has vowed to continue fighting the eviction, with Mrs. Ghaith-Sub Laban vowing to use any loophole in the law to appeal the decision and regain her home.
The eviction is also seen as a blow to any hopes of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has been stalled for years. The Israeli government’s refusal to recognize Palestinian rights to the land and its continued settlement of the city have effectively killed any chance of a peaceful resolution.
In his statement, Arieh King, a settler leader and deputy mayor of Jerusalem, has praised the eviction as a “day to celebrate”, stating that the family “should be ashamed for using the property that does not belong to them”. However, this view is widely rejected by the international community, which has consistently called on Israel to cease its settlement activity and recognize Palestinian rights.
The Ghaith-Sub Laban family’s eviction is a stark reminder of the human cost of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the need for the international community to take action to protect the rights and dignity of Palestinian civilians.
