Love of the Land: How The NYTimes Interprets Historic Rights

How The NYTimes Interprets Historic Rights

Yisrael Medad
My Right Word
02 December 09

You'll have to read this carefully to get my point:

The house at the center of Tuesday’s flare-up is in Sheik Jarrah, a district just north of the Old City, where three Palestinian families have been evicted from other houses in the last year after losing a lengthy legal battle in the High Court and lower district and magistrates courts.

A Jewish association won its claim to historical ownership of the land in question, and has plans to build a large Jewish housing complex there. The Palestinians fear that the Jewish presence in Sheik Jarrah is part of a larger project to cement Israeli control of the eastern part of the city and to push Palestinian residents out.

The latest Jewish residents to move into the area were escorted by the police and private security guards and immediately removed furniture from the property, which was built by a Palestinian family headed by Refka al-Kurd, 87.

The small, one-story structure was built about 10 years ago as an extension of the Kurds’ original home, but it was unoccupied, having been sealed by the authorities after it was determined to have been constructed without the proper permits.

“The authorities took our keys to the property because we built it without permits,” said Nabil al-Kurd, 66, who lives in the original house. “But it seems the settlers can live here without permits because they are the sons of God,” he said bitterly, referring to the Jewish newcomers.

Shmulik Ben-Ruby, the spokesman for the Jerusalem police, said his force acted in line with the court decision that determined that the property “is owned by Jews.”

You'll note:

a) there was a lengthy court battle.

b) if the Jews have a case based on historical ownership which means pre-1948, and we know the neighborhood only grew after Jordan dumped Arabs there after 1948, what concern is there about push Pals. out? if they got free housing without property rights while also trying to block Jewish legal rights, who do they think they are?

c) the extension that was taken over is 10 years old! that's historical?

d) how can Jews live without permits if they had to go through a lengthy court case?

Love of the Land: How The NYTimes Interprets Historic Rights