Israel’s Supreme Court on Sunday rejected the appeal of Arab residents against the decision of the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court and District Court to evict them from a parking lot they had invaded in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.
The judges imposed on the appellants’ legal expenses in the amount of NIS 18,000 ($5,700).
Court Vice President Justice Neil Handel, Justice Yitzhak Amit, and Justice Noam Solberg, ruled: “We have heard the arguments of the parties and reviewed the material. Therefore, the appeal can be rejected because we did not find any reason to intervene in this determination,” meaning the two rulings of the lower courts.
This is not the “big” Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood case, which is still being litigated and deals with Jewish-owned homes that were invaded by Arab squatters after the Jordanian Legion chased the Jews out of eastern Jerusalem. The current Jewish owners want their property back, but the High Court’s ruling in favor of evicting the illegal squatters is being delayed because the European powers and the Biden administration say it’s wrong.
Perhaps Jews should squatter on the lovely grounds around the White House?
The lot in question in Sunday’s ruling dominates the entire area and is owned by the Jerusalem municipality. Arab residents recently invaded the area and turned the place into a parking lot that was also used by the same Arab illegal squatters to throw stones and Molotov cocktails at Jews in the area. The High Court ruling confirms the district court’s decision and states that the place must be vacated by the Arab invaders.
The Jerusalem municipality has had ambitious plans for the entire area along Wadi Joz Street that runs from Mount Scopus, through the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, to the Old City. Wadi Joz has been the car workshops street of Jerusalem since the 1967 war. Along with dozens of garages, there are also shops carrying vehicle accessories, as well as shops offering building materials.
The city’s plan has been called an unparalleled revolution in the eastern part of the city since 1967, designating nearly 230,000 square meters of new construction for employment, hotels, and commerce. Wadi Joz, according to the plan, will be turned into a modern urban street, with dozens of eight- to 14-story office buildings, which will be the economic beating heart of eastern Jerusalem. At the same time, the municipality is promoting the establishment of a vocational training college for young people in the eastern part of the city, so that they can be integrated into the new business district. The street will also be widened to allow access to the light rail to pass through. A promenade and a park are planned on nearby Othman Ben Afan Street.
Turns out the ambitious Jerusalem municipality has it easier when it comes to sweeping illegal Arab squatters off its property. Perhaps the Jewish owners of those stolen Sheikh Jarah Homes should come up with a plan for a skyscraper.