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Fawzia al-Kurd, whose family is facing imminent eviction from their home of over forty years in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, interviewed by local and international press.

The Palestinian newspaper Al-Ayyam reported yesterday (16 July) that following an urgent request by Hosni Abu Hussein, attorney for the al-Kurd family, the Israeli High Court has granted the family an additional two days before they will be forcibly evacuated from their home. Conversations with members of the family make clear that they now pin their hopes on support and advocacy from international activists in order to save their home and the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah from additional Israeli colonization.

The al-Kurd family, together with 37 additional Palestinian families living in Sheikh Jarrah, have written a letter calling on US President Bush to intervene in their case. Palestinian President Abbas is also following developments in Sheikh Jarrah, according to Attorney Ahmad al-Ruweidi, Head of the Jerusalem Unit at the Palestinian Presidential Office. The Al-Quds newspaper further reported yesterday that “the Office of the President conducts important contacts with the Quartet Committee and with Washington over the home of the al-Kurd Family.” 

The al-Kurd family is the first in Sheikh Jarrah to have received an eviction notice from Israel. In 2006, Israeli settlers began to harass the family, wanting to take over the house the al-Kurds had built through hard work over so many years. Serious problems began when the family built an extension to the house, as the elder al-Kurd became ill and could no longer use the stairs. The Israeli Court declared this construction illegal and fined the family. The latter proposed to destroy the extension, but this was refused. Israeli settlers then simply moved into one part of the al-Kurd home.  

The Israeli settlers do not live there, as a neighbor explains, but come during the day to occupy the space; it is never the same people. Since 2006, Fawzia al-Kurd reports that she has been harassed by the settlers and Israeli army, generally in the evening but also during day time. Settlers once came when she was alone, her husband in hospital and the children at school, six armed men walked in while she was sleeping.  

“This constant harassment makes me believe that in the future, even the creation of two separate states next to each other could not possibly occur,” adds Fawzia al-Kurd, “as there already is too much hatred between the two peoples.”

To read more about the situation, click here.