Steep Decline Palestinians Fear Eviction From East Jerusalem

On the wall of the living room of Zohair Rajabi's house is a map showing his neighbourhood: the stepped alleys winding down the steep slopes facing Jerusalem's Old City, and the flat roofs of houses.

- Jason Burke BATN AL-HAWA

The 54-year-old's own home is marked by a yellow sticker. Rajabi fervently hopes he will never have to replace it with a red one - signifying that Jewish Israelis live in the building.

"We are living in constant anxiety. It's very difficult," he said.

About 20 houses in Batn al-Hawa, a Palestinian neighbourhood in East Jerusalem, are marked on Rajabi's map with a yellow sticker and only six are marked in red.

This may be about to change. A recent ruling by Israel's supreme court ended the legal battle of one local family against eviction and in hearings last week judges dismissed two other attempts to block moves to force 66 people out of their homes in Batn al-Hawa too.

"In 15 years of working on these cases, this is definitely the worst it has ever been," said a lawyer, Yazeed Kawar.

The sudden flurry of activity in Batn al-Hawa comes amid a concerted effort by Israeli settler organisations to expand existing projects and start new ones.

Israel late last month approved the largest seizure of land in the occupied West Bank in more than three decades, according to a report released by an Israeli anti-settlement watchdog.

There are also plans to expand controversial housing projects in East Jerusalem, which was captured by Israel from Jordan in the six-day war of 1967 and unilaterally annexed in 1980. Permanent settlement of territory occupied militarily is illegal under international law.

In all, about 700 Palestinians in Batn al-Hawa may be threatened with displacement.

"It is our family home. It is where I was born. My family came here 60 years ago. If we had a just government then it would be given to us, but instead they are trying to take our homes away," said Nasser Rajabi, 52, whose most recent effort to prevent eviction was heard in court last week.