400 years ago Abu Cibna They live in the same land on a hill Jerusalem. Ishak Abu Cibna has Ottoman, British, Jordanian and Israeli documents. These documents prove that his ancestors and now his family also own these valuable lands. Despite this legality that has been going on for centuries, Ishak Abu Cibna became homeless. Cloudy sunset over the neighborhood Sheikh Jarrah, He has been visible from his sofa in the occupied part of East Jerusalem since Israeli police destroyed his house a few weeks ago. He resigned, saying “We live without laws.” “Since the war began, Israelis have sought refuge state of emergency to do what they want,” he confirms. Muhammad al-Sabbagh.
In his tiny one-room house, which serves as a bedroom, kitchen and dining room, Al Sabbagh holds his breath every time he calls his relatives. They live in Gaza and hasn’t heard from them for a month. He insistently stays in the neighborhood where he grew up and struggles to stay, and dials his cousins’ numbers through every channel. “No answer…“, he repeatedly states. “Things are calmer here,” Sheikh Jarrah explains to El Periódico de Catalunya of the Prensa Ibérica group, “but Palestinians in East Jerusalem continue to suffer.” Crimes of Israeli occupation“This time the world is not looking at them. The deaths of their brothers in the occupied West Bank and in the besieged Gaza are counted in the hundreds and thousands. They accompany them from the heart of their homeland.
But Israel’s aggressive campaign against everything Palestinian is catching up with them. Palestinians in East Jerusalem mass arrestsjust like their counterparts in the occupied West Bank. Their bodies are also hit by the bullets of Israeli security forces. They were kidnapped last week three young lives. Moreover, houses like that of Ishak Abu Cibna are also being demolished. In many cases they are forcing their own residents. tear down the walls Those who leave their homes to avoid paying the heavy financial penalties imposed by the Israeli municipality in Jerusalem if they carry out demolition with their vehicles. “After demolishing my house, now they’re asking me 40,000 shekels [unos 9.675 euros] as a sanction,” complains Abu Cibna, who worked as a civil servant before the war. taxi driver in the tourism industry.
No building permit
“How am I going to pay for this without a job and without a home?” he asks. Got it right there your last cup of coffee One morning, when the Israeli police knocked on his door. After dropping his kids off at school, it took him a few minutes to unpack his furniture and wake up his still-sleeping wife. The judicial measures taken a week ago did not work. Both of them 12 years of life under that roof. Both of them four centuries of ownership from these lands. It didn’t matter that there were three little kids living there. The only thing worth it was building Abu Cibna’s house. without permission. “What options do we have if we don’t have the large amount of money needed to buy one?” says.
The construction of Palestinian buildings in East Jerusalem follows the trend in area C of the West Bank between 2009 and 2018. Only 2% of requests approvedAccording to Israeli organization Peace Now. In the first quarter of 2023, nearly 300 buildings were demolished or confiscated. 413 people They were displaced. This represents a to increase These rates are 46% and 78%, respectively, compared to the same period in 2022, when the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, experienced the highest number of destructions since 2016. Now, while all eyes are on the destroyed neighborhoods of Gaza cities, Israel is advancing. on the ground without waiting for their court sometimes protects the Palestinian population in East Jerusalem.
“A prison”
“Our lives are now like a prison,” Al Sabbagh denounces. Since the conflict started on October 7 freedom of movement Palestinian access was severely restricted. “Also Israeli authorities are blocking young men go and pray every fridayon our holy day, they don’t even allow them to enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City,” he complains to this newspaper. “Police are throwing plastic balls, tear gas and dirty water at the Masjid al-Aqsa hundreds of Muslims “Those who gather at the gates of the Old City every Friday,” he explains. Palestinians in East Jerusalem suffer the same pain persecution of views When they support the citizens of Gaza, who have already lost 11,000 lives to bombs. “We anxious always,” admits the 73-year-old Palestinian.
Seven years ago, Abu Cibna was attacked by Israeli settlers, causing him to be considered a “victim of hostilities” by the Israeli Government. “They took me out of the taxi and broke my hand and foot. just because you’re Arab” he recalls. In the spring air of Jerusalem’s autumn, it is still difficult for him to accept that his home no longer exists. “A month ago, I had a job, I had a house; now i have nothing“Zero,” he complains. Hidden threats from IsraelPalestinians in East Jerusalem know that they are not the only ones subjected to this oppression, in the form of violence by settlers, soldiers, and police. I am convinced of this the importance of resistance, they realize that their suffering has no final horizon. “This is not a question Hamas or a matter of another organization job: If you pressure someone for a long time, will explode“Sabbagh concludes.
Source: Informacion
James Sean is a writer for “Social Bites”. He covers a wide range of topics, bringing the latest news and developments to his readers. With a keen sense of what’s important and a passion for writing, James delivers unique and insightful articles that keep his readers informed and engaged.