The Israeli High Court of Justice (HCJ) has provided four Palestinian families in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah an offer that would allow them to remain in their homes for 15 years as “protected tenants”, The Middle East Monitor reported.
The ruling, MEMO continued, would also list Jewish-owned Nahalat Shimon company as the owners of the property, while the three Palestinian families would be forced to pay rent biennially in the sum of 2,400 shekels ($743).
An Israeli court offered Palestinian families in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem to remain in their homes as "tenants" for 15 years https://t.co/eCMrg4Pp5S pic.twitter.com/SdwqKpITo4
— ANADOLU AGENCY (@anadoluagency) October 5, 2021
The court added that the Palestinian families would also agree to pay legal and court costs in the sum of 30,000 shekels ($9,282) to the Nahalat Shimon Company and that, over the 15 years, the land ownership issue can be adjudicated.
There was no comment from Sheikh Jarrah’s families on the court’s proposal, however, they have previously refused settlements that see them give up their land to settler groups.
Dozens of settlers in the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in Jerusalem amid police deployment in the area pic.twitter.com/qkMno5A7ZW
— Silwanic (@Silwanic1) October 4, 2021
Both sides now have until November 2 to reply to the non-binding ruling, MEMO noted. The judges said they would accept any amended compromise agreed upon by both sides. They warned, however, that should the compromise be rejected, they would issue a binding ruling.
(MEMO, PC, Social Media)
