Israel’s claim to Sheikh Jarrah land

The village of Sheik Jarrah is part of the West Bank, about 2 kilometers from the old town. Over 3 million Palestinian nationals live in East Jerusalem against the about half a million Israelis which is a testament of ownership. However, Israel's claim to the ownership of Sheik Jarrah village emanates from the area's place in history as the burial site of an Israeli priest Shimon Hatzadik. Palestinians continue to organize sit-ins in the village of Sheik Jarrah to oppose Israel's planned occupation of the area, but they are confronted with brutality using foul water, shock grenades, and coated rubber bullets.

Prime Minister Netanyahu's announcement of the expansionist policies in September 2019 marked the start of targeted violence against Palestinians. There is a heavy military presence of Israeli forces in East Jerusalem and the West Bank alongside Jewish militias displacing Palestinian farmers, torching orchards, demolishing homes, and confiscating land against the international community's wishes and laws.

Israel is an occupying power and by expelling people from their homes and confiscating their land, it is contravening article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention that prevents the occupying power from evicting civilian nationals. It also violates Hague Regulation of 1907 that prohibits the occupying state from using the resources of natives such as forests, land, and agricultural estates under the laws of the usufruct.

Israel claims that it bought this land at the end of the 19th century, while the native residents are registered as the lawful owners and their certificates are kept in Jordan when it was ruling the West Bank before 1967.  Nevertheless, by presenting this argument, Israel is establishing that the other lands which were not purchased, mounting to 99% of the Israeli land, were taken illegally by force and not by purchase. The problem here is not the question of rightful property concerning 1% of the Palestinian occupied land, it is a much bigger issue related to occupying a land by force and expelling its population and killing those who refuse to leave. Israel is a fabricated country whose people came to claim their historical land before 3 thousand years. Based on this premise, all demised civilizations have the right to claim the lands they ruled thousands of years ago like the Romans and the Greeks.

The legal dispute regarding Sheikh Jarrah village is meaningless as it tackles a small village to prove its ownership when the whole land of Palestine was taken illegally from its lawful owners. Israel also provokes the Palestinians every day by storming Al Aqsa Mosque. It seems that these practices are intended to make the Palestinians leave the whole of Palestine to Israel or die. The British themselves, who gave Palestine to the Zionists, captured America from its native owners and erased them in a brutal genocide which is one of a kind throughout human history.

Israel is also targeting Egypt by supporting Ethiopia in the Renaissance Dam crisis although Egypt has been cooperative with it since the Peace Accord in Camp David in 1978. It is targeting Jordan by holding back its water share. What Israel should understand is that the Arab are talking law while other neighboring nations are talking religion and they are waiting patiently to annihilate Israel based on religious differences. The Arabs are far less harmful than other nations and Israel should learn to appease them and live with them peacefully to serve its own interests.