Settlers seize a commercial store in the Old City of Jerusalem
Settlers seized last Tuesday morning a commercial store owned by Sub Laban family in Oqbat Al-Khaldyeh in the Old City of Jerusalem.
Noura Sub Laban, owner of the property, said: “Settlers demolished this morning the wall separating the store from the neighboring house where settlers live in order to be able to enter the store.”
She continued: “We have been fighting them in court for 40 years regarding the house and the store but the occupation’s court ordered to evacuate me from my house after 10 years, and decided that only my husband and I can live in the house until the period is over. Even my unmarried children can’t live with us. Regarding the store, the court made its decision in favor of the settlers and was not fair.”
She added: “My house is above the store and demolishing its walls might affect the house. We were able to stop them from working until a decision is issued by the occupation municipality saying that their work won’t affect the house.”
It is noteworthy that the occupation authorities and settlement organizations are attempting to evacuate Gheith-Sub Laban family and get them to leave their house since the 1970’s. The authorities put pressure on the family using several methods to force them to leave their house and prevented them from doing any renovations since then. In the 1980’s, the entrance of the house was closed by the settlers. Despite all types of harassment, the family remained in their house and fought the settlers in court for over 20 years until they were able to retain their right to live in their house. In 2010, the occupation authorities gave ownership of the property to “Galicia” settlement organization in a new attempt to evacuate the family. This settlement organization claims ownership of the property and submitted a request to evacuate the family in 2010 claiming that a Jewish family should be living in the house and not a Palestinian Muslim family.
It is noteworthy that this settlement organization is one of several organizations that have attempted over the years to evacuate Palestinians families from their homes in the Old City of Jerusalem to seize the property.
