Land Research Center - LRC

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The Occupation transforms The Occupation transforms

2018-08-04

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Tuesday , 4 August 2018, The Israeli ministry of culture introduced a center In Silwan , on the south side from Al-Aqsa mosque in a house that used to be owned and inhabited by "Abu Al-Nab"  family before it was stolen by the Jewish colonial foundation "Ateret Cohanim "  in august 2015, The center's name " Jewish Yemeni heritage" , That comes as part of a plan of "Judaization of  Silwan" , Especially "Batn Al-Hawa"  neighborhood .  The colonial sects claim that the neighborhood is Jewish and was inhabited by Yemeni Jewish families late in the 18th century.  

The occupation forces broke into the neighborhood and closed all the leading roads, prevented Palestinians from reaching the place , and circulated the area with tens of police members in the roads, The located check points on the entrances of "Batn Al-Hawa" ,  "Ein Lozeh" and "Al-Bustan" neighborhoods, They also prevented Palestinian citizens from standing around the checkpoints or entering their homes3. The occupation also moved away foreign activists who came to the place to protest against opening a Jewish center in the neighborhood, they also arrested some active members in "neighborhood committee".

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All what was mentioned is to provide security for the participants in the center's opening , Many Jewish clergymen were present ,representatives  of Israeli parties and radical Zionist foundations , minister of culture and minister of Jerusalem .

The center of Jewish Yemeni heritage was opened in the family home of "Raja'e Abu-Al-Nab" where a huge signboard was hanged , where it is written in Hebrew "ancient synagogue of Hasheloh" the name they claim for "Batn Al-Hawa" neighbourhood.

The colonial foundation of "Ateret Cohnaim" complained to the Israeli court claiming that "Abu Al-Nab" family are living in a Jewish  property, the occupation's court passed a judgment that Abu Al-Nab family must leave the property for "Ateret Cohanim" colonial foundation before 11 august 2015.

"Abu Al-Nab" Family appealed the case for the Israeli supreme court , but they lost it and had to leave their home.

"Ateret Cohanim" claims that the house was a Jewish synagogue in the 20s of the last century before the Israeli occupation , after Jerusalem fell under occupation  in 1967, This colonial foundation and other similar ones started working on stealing some Palestinian houses claiming that they are Jewish properties leaning on the law (Guardians of absentee properties).

It is obvious that the occupation forces by opening the "Jewish Yemani Heritage center" is trying to take over the place by creating historical links between the place and the Jews and make it a religious location. what comes next is dislocating its Palestinian residents, all that is a plan by colonial foundations and financially supported by the Israeli goverment to take over the neighborhood.

  About  Silwan[1]:

About 1 km south Jerusalem, Silwan is surrounded by Jerusalem (north and east" , The green line and the occupied territories of 1948 (west), Jabal Mukabbir and Al Thori

The total space of the town is about 1400 dunums, of which 855 are a built up area of the village.






[1] Source: GIU- LRC

This case study is part of Kan'aan Project

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