'Enormous Pain in My Heart': Palestinian Evictions Mount in East Jerusalem

A Community on the Brink: East Jerusalem Faces Unprecedented Displacement

The dawn of the new year brought devastating news for Palestinian families across East Jerusalem. Appeals against widespread eviction orders, impacting communities like Batn al-Hawa in Silwan, were definitively rejected by the Israeli Supreme Court. This judicial blow paves the way for what human rights organizations warn could be the largest coordinated displacement of Palestinians from a single East Jerusalem neighborhood since the onset of Israel’s occupation in 1967. For residents, this isn't merely a legal setback; it embodies an "enormous pain in my heart," signaling the imminent loss of homes, cherished memories, and an entire way of life.

Kayed Rajabi's Anguish: The Personal Cost of Displacement

In the heart of Occupied East Jerusalem's Batn al-Hawa neighborhood, Kayed Rajabi spends his final days in the only home he’s ever known, perched on his family’s rooftop. His gaze drifts across the Silwan valley to the iconic Al-Aqsa Mosque. "Smoke, smoke, smoke," he murmurs, a cigarette clutched in his trembling hand, a stark reflection of his despair. "That is all we can do."

A street sweeper for the Jerusalem municipality, Rajabi has ceased going to work, paralyzed by the fear that his family could be forcibly removed while he's away. This omnipresent terror has also kept his children, and those of other families facing displacement, from attending school. The community lives under a cloud of impending loss, desperate for every last moment together within their cherished walls.

“I’m 50 years old. I was born here,” Rajabi recounts, his voice heavy with emotion. “I opened my eyes in this house. My laughter, my sadness, my joy, all my friends and loved ones are deeply rooted in this neighborhood.” The cooing of pigeons from the coops he tends with his brother momentarily fills the silence. He continues, “Today, the home that embodies my dreams, that holds all my memories – they intend to erase it in a single second and replace us with a settler. This is an enormous pain in my heart, a grief beyond imagination. This isn’t merely a structure or property slated for destruction; these are irreplaceable memories they seek to obliterate.”

The Scale of Impending Forced Displacement

The judicial decision, delivered as the new year dawned, cemented the fate of 150 Palestinians from 28 families in Batn al-Hawa, Silwan. This group had exhausted their final legal avenues to remain in their homes. The gravity of the situation extends far wider: an estimated 700 residents across 84 families are now confronting imminent forced displacement. According to the Israeli NGO Ir Amim, this mass eviction represents the largest coordinated expulsion of Palestinians from a single neighborhood in East Jerusalem since the onset of Israel’s occupation in 1967.

The extended Rajabi family alone faces eviction orders for 24 homes, impacting a staggering 250 individuals. Formal letters, issued by the Israeli execution office under the Ministry of Justice on January 12, gave the 28 appealing families a mere 21 days to vacate. Already, Khalil al-Basbous, a neighbor of the Rajabis, has experienced the devastating reality of forced eviction, his family displaced as a direct consequence of the recent court ruling.

Erosion of Community: A Neighborhood Transformed

For generations, the Rajabi family rooftop, with its panoramic views of Al-Aqsa, served as a cherished hub for family gatherings and communal breakfasts. “You’d find 50 of my family members coming here, and we’d fill the neighborhood with our celebrations of Ramadan and Eid,” Kayed recalls wistfully, ticking off names of relatives and friends already displaced. “The memories were so sweet before the settlers came... The best memories, the best neighborhood, the best neighbors – our neighbors who were replaced by the settlers.”

A commotion erupts below, a stark reminder of the new reality. Kayed steps away to confront the settlers who now occupy the home of his former neighbors, the Gheith family, returning with eyes wide from adrenaline. “The Gheith family, they were like family to us,” he recounts. “We all loved each other. We grew up together, we opened our eyes together. We used to play, me and their sons and daughters. I cried every day after they were thrown out of their home so easily.”

Now, their building is bordered on all sides by settler-occupied homes. Kayed’s younger brother, Wa’il, 44, encapsulates their daily torment: “We are under constant psychological pressure from the settlers. We are not living.”

Simple Homes, Priceless Views

The apartments shared by Kayed, Wa’il, and their mother are modest – a kitchen, a small living room, and bedrooms for each family. “This house isn’t a villa, it’s not a palace,” Kayed affirms. “But we are happy and comfortable here. The most incredible thing is to sit here, and your eyes fall on Al-Aqsa Mosque.” This spiritual connection is profound; for years, the brothers and their families walked to Al-Aqsa for Friday prayers, a tradition now overshadowed by their precarious existence, which Kayed describes as transforming from "dire to a death sentence."

Understanding the Roots of the Dispute: A Complex History

The current wave of evictions represents a dramatic acceleration of forced displacement that has plagued Batn al-Hawa for years. Since November, eight more families have been violently removed from their homes, with Israeli settlers swiftly moving in, often celebrating their new acquisitions loudly.

Historical Roots of the Legal Claims

The legal battle hinges on a complex historical narrative. In the 19th century, impoverished Yemeni Jewish families settled in what is now Batn al-Hawa, a hillside area south of Jerusalem’s Old City. While initial relations between Jewish and Muslim communities were reportedly harmonious, escalating violence in East Jerusalem during the 1920s and 1930s eventually led these Yemeni Jewish families to depart, leaving local Palestinians to acquire sole ownership of the land over time.

The Rajabi Family's Own Displacements

The Rajabi family's personal history is intertwined with these broader events. Before the 1967 war, which saw Israel capture East Jerusalem and other territories, they resided in the Sharaf neighborhood of the Old City. In 1966, anticipating conflict, the Jordanian government advised them to relocate. They found refuge in Batn al-Hawa, purchasing land from existing Arab owners. Following the 1967 war, Sharaf was razed by Israeli authorities to expand the modern-day Jewish Quarter.

The Resurfaced Benvenisti Trust and Its Impact

The legal basis for the current evictions emerged in 2001 when Israeli courts resurrected the long-dormant Benvenisti Trust, originally established in the 19th century to manage properties for Yemeni Jewish families in Batn al-Hawa. Crucially, the courts appointed representatives from the settler organization Ateret Cohanim to oversee this trust. These appointees, despite having no historical ties to the Benvenisti Trust or the original Yemeni Jewish community, now control claims over 5.5 dunums (approximately 1.36 acres) of land that encompass dozens of Palestinian family homes today. This legal maneuver effectively paved the way for the systematic evictions now causing such 'enormous pain in my heart' for residents like Kayed Rajabi.