Israeli Court Ratifies Eviction of 87 Palestinians from East Jerusalem Homes

The East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan with the Dome of the Rock in the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in the background (AFP/file photo)
The East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan with the Dome of the Rock in the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in the background (AFP/file photo)
TT
20

Israeli Court Ratifies Eviction of 87 Palestinians from East Jerusalem Homes

The East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan with the Dome of the Rock in the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in the background (AFP/file photo)
The East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan with the Dome of the Rock in the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in the background (AFP/file photo)

Israel's Jerusalem District Court ratified on Thursday the eviction of 87 Palestinians from the Batan al-Hawa area in Silwan in favor of the Israeli settler group Ateret Cohanim. This falls under the continuous Israeli procedures aiming at Judaizing the occupied East Jerusalem.

Ateret Cohanim had sued the residents of Batan al-Hawa, claiming that the land was owned by Yemeni Jews during the Ottoman period until 1938, when the British Mandate moved them due to political tensions.

The Palestinians responded that they feel like refugees in their own country. They added that before 1948, they owned lands and properties in Jerusalem, however, the Israeli authorities prohibit them from returning there.

Hagit Ofran, activist and director of the Peace Now's Settlement Watch team, expressed real concern that the settlers might attempt to implement the eviction order in the coming days before US president-elect Joe Biden takes office on Jan. 20.

Ofran ruled out Biden’s capability of hindering the process, but hoped that it would be on his agenda.

Minister for Settlement Affairs Tzachi Hanegbi also announced that the Israeli government intends to go ahead with plans to legalize dozens of illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank, many of which are built on privately-owned Palestinian land.

Peace Now affirmed that Benyamin Netanyahu's government is racing against time to ratify the construction of thousands of settlement units in the occupied Jerusalem and West Bank during this period.

In this context, Likud MK and former Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat has launched a plan to tighten the grip on Palestinian lands in terms of expanding the construction of settlements and industrial zones in the West Bank and the Jordan Valley.



Lebanese Govt. to Seek New IMF Program, Policy Statement Says

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas//File Photo
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas//File Photo
TT
20

Lebanese Govt. to Seek New IMF Program, Policy Statement Says

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas//File Photo
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas//File Photo

Lebanon's new government will negotiate with the International Monetary Fund for a new program and will work to deal with the country's financial default and public debt, according to a policy statement approved by the cabinet late on Monday.

The statement, a copy of which was reviewed by Reuters, said the government would work for an economical revival that could only be achieved through restructuring the banking sector.

Lebanon has been in deep economic crisis since 2019, when its financial system collapsed under the weight of massive state debts, prompting a sovereign default in 2020 and freezing ordinary depositors out of their savings in the banking system.

Beirut reached a draft funding deal with IMF in 2022 - contingent on reforms that authorities failed to deliver.

Finance Minister Yassine Jaber, who took office as part of a new government agreed earlier this month, told Reuters an IMF mission is expected to visit Lebanon in March.

Jaber said he had met the IMF's resident representative in Lebanon, Frederico Lima, and confirmed that the government plans to move ahead with reforms.

Lebanon's political landscape has been turned on its head since the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, long a dominant player in Lebanese politics, was badly pummelled in last year's war with Israel.

Reflecting the shift in the power balance, the government policy statement did not include language used in previous years that was seen to legitimize a role for Hezbollah in defending Lebanon, saying instead "we want a state that has the decision of war and peace".

The statement said it was required to adopt a national security strategy and a foreign policy that works to 'neutralize' Lebanon from conflicts.

In the field of energy, the Lebanese government will seek to resume work in oil and gas exploration, according to the cabinet statement. It said the government planned to establish a Ministry of Technology and Artificial Intelligence.

With a new administration in neighboring Syria, the statement said the Lebanese government believed it has an opportunity to start a serious dialogue aimed at controlling and demarcating the borders and working to resolve the issue of displaced Syrians in Lebanon.