Jawad Abu Sneineh… Steadiness in his home despite the financial temptations and settlers’ harassment
In the modest home which does not exceed an area of 80 square meters lives Jawad Abu Sneineh, his wife and their nine children under the pressure of displacement and bad neighborhood. His “new neighbors” are settlers that took-over the 5-storey residential building last week where his apartment is also located and is threatened with deportation at any time. Abu Sneineh explained to Wadi Hilweh Information Center that he has been living in the apartment for 7 years and the previous owner of the building (Jamal Sarhan) requested him to pay a full year’s rent (18 thousand NIS) at the beginning of the current year. Abu Sneineh paid the money since he had no other choice because of the lack of housing, and the lack of houses for rent. Attempts of evacuation before seizing the apartment!!! He added: “two weeks ago, Jamal came and told me that the building will be evacuated in favor of the settlers under the pretext of the existence of issues in the Israeli courts. He claimed to care for my family members and asked me to leave the apartment and offered to give the rent that I paid upfront (four and a half months).” Abu Sneineh added: “I refused Jamal’s offer and informed him that I do not have any other place and that I have a big family and other owners won’t let me rent their apartment.” Abu Sneineh pointed out that Jamal attempted to convince him to leave several times and told him that he won’t have anything to do with it after the settlers move in. Temptations to make him leave!!! Abu Sneineh explained that the person in charge of the settlers who seized the building came to him few hours after they broke into the building and asked him to leave the apartment under the pretext of “ownership of the residential building”, but Abu Sneineh told him that he leased the apartment for one full years and showed him the lease contract; the settlers attempted to evade and manipulate by saying the contract is fake. He added: "He tried to tempt me with money and offered to lease an apartment for me in the village of Esawyeh and to pay one year of rent but I refused.” Abu Sneineh also explained that after he left his apartment, the settlers’ harassment to his family started by cutting off the water from his apartment and by damaging his TV satellite. Steadiness and resilience and refusing to leave his home for settlers Abu Sneineh confirmed that he won’t leave his apartment and give it to the settlers and will remain steadfast in defiance of attempts to deport him. The settlement organization Ateret Cohanim seized a residential building in the Middle Neighborhood “Batn Al-Hawa” in Silwan last week after its previous owner Jamal Sarhan sold it to them. They seized four floors after the tenant Abu Sneineh refused to leave his apartment in favor of the settlers.
