Land Research Center

The Sumrin family is facing eviction from the family home in Ein Al-Hilweh neighborhood in Silwan South Al-Aqsa mosque, the court gave the family 90 days to evict their home, under claims that the house is owned by the Jewish National Fund.

The case goes back to 1991, when the family received an eviction order from the Custodian of Absentees properties , under claims that the owner Musa Sumrin died in 1983, and he has no heirs in Jerusalem , while the Sumrin family still live in the house , which refutes the Custodian of Absentees properties claims.

 The case jumped from one colonial institution to the other until it fell in the hands of Himanuta (A subsidiary organization for JNF)- The Custodian of Absentees’ properties gave the papers to Israeli Development Authority , which in turn gave it to Himanuta.

During the recent years , there were several attempts to evict the family and take over the house , which has a strategic location over viewing Al-Aqsa mosque and the Mughrabi  gate , the house consists of 4 sections (each one makes a small studio) , and inhabited by 13 Musa’a Sumrin’s relatives (most of the inhabitants are under age).

The Occupation have been targeting the house since the nineties:

• In 1991 the Jewish National Fund represented by Himanuta filed an eviction lawsuit against the Sumrin family , but in 1994 the court rejected the request and registered the house as an Absentees properties was illegal, as Musa Samrin lived in the house all his life until he died in the early 80s.
• In 1996 in light of Himanuta’s appeal , the court approved the absentees’ properties claim because Musa’s children were living abroad and considered as Absentees , but the court was still studying the case to see if the inhabitants are potential heirs.
• In 1999 the court decided that the Surmin family are legitimate owners of the house, and Himanuta’s appeal was rejected.
• In the same year 1999, Sumrin family appealed the court to announce that they own the house , but the court refused as there was issues in the ownership deeds , in 2004 the family withdrew the appeal , and in 2004, Himanuta filed an eviction lawsuit against the family.
• In 2011, Himanuta started taking action and called for the family to be evicted , in 2006 the family received an eviction order without having the chance to attend the court , and after a year of legal battles , the court gave Sumrin family the chance to defend their home.
• In 2018, the court called for several witnesses to reconsider the case.
• In September 20^th 2019 , the court ordered the Sumrin family to evict the house within less than 90 days.