Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
A number of independent United Nations experts stressed the need for the international community to take immediate action to stop the forced evictions and displacement of Palestinians by Israel in East Jerusalem, within the framework of what Israel is doing to "annex the city and evict it from its Palestinian population," as the experts put it.

The experts said in a press statement, which came in the United Nations News Bulletin, of which we received a copy, that the world's attention is focused on the actions committed by Israel in the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the firing of rockets from Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, and that the deadly attacks against Israeli civilians and foreigners occupy the headlines, while killing does not receive the same attention. Ten times that number of Palestinians.

They referred to what they described as an unchecked tragedy, namely the forced eviction of Palestinians from their homes. They said: "Despite the efforts of international organizations and activists, Palestinians - under Israeli occupation - continue to be expelled from their homes and stripped of their lands and property on the basis of discriminatory laws."

The experts, appointed by the Human Rights Council, added that these laws are designed to perpetuate Jewish ownership in Jerusalem in order to irreversibly change its demographics and status.

The experts stated that Israel's transfer of its population to the occupied territory proves its deliberate intention to colonize the land it occupies, a practice prohibited by international humanitarian law and amounting to war crimes.

According to the experts' statement, about 150 Palestinian families in neighborhoods adjacent to the Old City of Jerusalem, such as Silwan and Sheikh Jarrah, are threatened with displacement and forced eviction by the Israeli authorities and settlement organizations.

Over the past decades, according to the statement, settlers have seized hundreds of Palestinian properties in occupied East Jerusalem. This is partly due to a law that claims to allow the transfer of pre-1948 Jewish property to its "original Jewish owners" or their heirs. According to experts, the law helps settlement organizations to confiscate Palestinian property by manipulating the law.

Experts have described the practices as legal warfare, and said the law is discriminatory and designed for possession. They drew attention to the lack of provision for the right to compensation for more than a million Palestinians and their children and grandchildren who were displaced and expelled from Jerusalem, Israel and the rest of the West Bank and Gaza from 1947 and 1967. They said that these Palestinians are eager for justice.

The experts were particularly concerned about three families in East Jerusalem: the Shehadeh family in Silwan, the Ghaith Sub Laban family in the Old City and the Salem family in Sheikh Jarrah.

Despite having lived in their homes for decades - with protected lease contracts - these families have faced lawsuits to evict them from settler organizations that have been seeking to seize their property for years.

The Ghaith Sub Laban family has already exhausted all legal avenues to challenge the eviction order, the experts said, adding that the Israeli authorities have sent the family notice to vacate their home by April 25 or face forced eviction.

The experts said in their statement that this is a violation of international law, which does not give the occupying power the power to change local legislation unless strictly required by security needs. They added that the settler colonial intentions and interests are not a security need.

They added that the establishment and expansion of settlements is a grave violation of international law, and can be prosecuted according to the Rome Statute, according to which the International Criminal Court was established.

The experts concluded their statement by saying that the enjoyment of human rights for Palestinians is a distant hope because the suppression of these rights is part of the structure of the Israeli occupation. They added that the 56-year occupation, and the manner in which it is allowed to operate with impunity and without consequences, makes a mockery of international law and the credibility of the system it is authorized to impose.

They stressed the need to end the occupation, and until that day, according to experts, Israel must fully comply with the obligations of international humanitarian law and human rights law.

According to the UN Bulletin, the experts are: Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, Balakrishnan Rajagopal, Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, and Paula Gaviria Betancourt, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons.

It is noteworthy that the special rapporteurs and independent experts are appointed by the Human Rights Council in Geneva, which is an intergovernmental body responsible for the promotion and protection of human rights around the world. Rapporteurs and experts are charged with studying human rights situations and submitting reports on them to the Human Rights Council. It should be noted that this position is ceremonial, and these experts are not considered employees of the United Nations and do not receive remuneration for their work.