Latest news with #AteretCohanim
The Age
21 hours ago
- Politics
- The Age
In relation to the war in Gaza, inaction is consent
To submit a letter to The Age, email letters@ Please include your home address and telephone number. No attachments, please include your letter in the body of the email. See here for our rules and tips on getting your letter published. Inaction is consent On reading the article on East Jerusalem ' There's nothing the world can do about it ' (12/7) I couldn't stop thinking about the words of the man who watched his home be flattened: 'They are trying to break people, they want us to be nothing.' It stayed with me, not just because of its heartbreak, but of how those words contrasted with the voices of those working to make that outcome a reality. Australian-Israeli settler Daniel Luria, who proudly leads Ateret Cohanim's efforts to evict Palestinians and 'reclaim' homes, denies that Palestinians even exist as a people. They are 'illegal squatters'; he praises the use of courts to transfer land, and describes his mission as one of national rebirth. This is a slow-motion war, and it is being waged with bulldozers and land deeds instead of bombs. Australia recognises these settlements as illegal. So why is our outrage so well-mannered? I don't know what the world will do. But I know inaction is a form of consent. Fernanda Trecenti, Fitzroy Treading carefully Our leaders will have to tread carefully in considering any implementation of the points raised in Jillian Segal's antisemitism plan (Editorial, 12/7). The risk here is that a misjudged implementation of such strong measures carries a strong risk of hindering rather than enhancing our quest for continued cultural unity and understanding, which is one of the successful hallmarks of Australian society. Perhaps most difficult of all will be our achieving a better national understanding of the appallingly tragic Gazan situation beginning with an acceptance of the fact that it is this which in large measure lies at the heart of our destabilising antisemitism and Islamophobia. What is needed now is a better understanding of extremism and moderation on all sides in the Middle East – and the problematic role of the West in the Middle East so ably written about by highly regarded British journalist, the late Robert Fisk. So, we must tread carefully here, favouring educative understanding over punitive coercion lest the cure prove to be as bad – or worse – than the complaint. Terry Hewton, Henley Beach South, SA Violence no answer The treatment of non-Jewish residents in East Jerusalem is one ongoing issue within an intractable problem of history, religion and politics. Leaders of Israel and many other countries, plus organisations like Hamas and the PLO, have not done all they could to reach a compromise solution. Jerusalem, a Holy City for Jews, Muslims and Christians, should be under international governance, protecting access for all. A vote on this special status for Jerusalem, was passed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1947, within a two-state solution. It might not be accepted by the extremists on either side, but there is no realistic alternative. Neither side can ″win″ this forever war with more violence. John Hughes, Mentone Gift status at risk Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism Jillian Segal has recommended to the government that deductible gift status should be removed from charitable organisations that promote antisemitism. Amnesty International Medecins Sans Frontieres, and Human Rights Watch have all published lengthy reports finding that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Given Segal's adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism that conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism, the deductible gift status of these independent organisations would be at risk if the government adopted Segal's recommendation.
Days of Palestine
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
Israeli Court Upholds Expulsion of Palestinian Rajabi Family from Silwan
DayofPal– An Israeli court has upheld the forced expulsion of the Rajabi family from their home in the Batn Al-Hawa neighborhood of Silwan, located just south of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem. The decision, issued Sunday by the Central Court, marks the end of a years-long legal battle and the final rejection of the family's appeals against eviction efforts spearheaded by the right-wing settler organization Ateret Cohanim. The court ruled in favor of Ateret Cohanim's claim that the land in question once belonged to Yemeni Jews who settled in the area in 1881, decades before the founding of the State of Israel. The ruling affirms a previous decision by the Israeli Supreme Court, which last year upheld the legitimacy of the settler group's claim and authorized the eviction of the Rajabi family. The property at the center of the dispute comprises a three-story building housing 16 people across three apartments. The Wadi Hilweh Information Center, a Palestinian media group based in Silwan, confirmed the court's ruling and warned of its broader implications for the neighborhood. In a statement, the Jerusalem Governorate condemned the expulsion as part of 'a systematic policy of ethnic cleansing' aimed at altering the demographic and cultural character of East Jerusalem. Human rights organizations and Palestinian officials say the ruling is emblematic of Israel's broader strategy to Judaize Silwan and surrounding areas through a combination of legal action, state-backed settlement activity, and intensified enforcement measures. The Rajabi family is one of dozens targeted by Ateret Cohanim, which launched a wave of lawsuits in 2015 seeking the removal of Palestinian residents from Batn Al-Hawa. The group claims ownership of the land based on 19th-century trust documents allegedly linking the properties to Jewish residents from Yemen. According to the Batn Al-Hawa neighborhood committee, more than 80 Palestinian families in the area, home to over 10,000 resident, are currently facing expulsion threats. Zohair Rajabi, head of the committee and a member of the displaced family, accused the Israeli judiciary of acting in concert with settler groups. 'This is not justice,' Rajabi said following the court's decision. 'The courts are working in full coordination with settler organizations to expel us from our homes and erase our history.' In recent months, Israeli courts have issued additional expulsion orders targeting other Palestinian families in Batn Al-Hawa, including the Odeh and Shweiki households, under similar legal arguments advanced by settler entities. Silwan, which spans approximately 5,640 dunams, is home to around 60,000 Palestinians. An estimated 3,000 Israeli settlers now reside in the neighborhood, many of whom are affiliated with groups like Ateret Cohanim and Elad, an influential settler organization founded in 1986 by former Israeli army officer David Be'eri. Backed by state institutions and aided by favorable court rulings, Elad has seized at least 87 buildings in Silwan over the past decade. Zohair Rajabi warned that an additional 87 families, representing between 700 and 800 people, remain under immediate threat of displacement. 'This is a coordinated and deliberate campaign to empty Jerusalem of its Palestinian residents,' he said. The escalation of evictions has been accompanied by an increase in demolitions, arrests, and legal pressure on Palestinian communities in East Jerusalem. Human rights advocates have called for international intervention, arguing that the policy violates international law and undermines any prospects for a future political resolution in the city. Shortlink for this post:
