Relatives of Palestinian families who have refused to leave their homes in Sheikh Jarrah say they’ve rejected a proposal by Israel’s high court.
Families that refused to vacate the homes were hit by a recent Israeli order requiring them to be demolished. State-commissioned lawyer Gail Rubinstein offered the plan on behalf of the Israeli government, as reported by the Jerusalem Post:
What we are proposing is that the state pays 100 percent of the neighborhood’s up-to-date building costs, a figure of about $1.9 million in now abandoned homes and on other properties. This would completely cover the owners’ losses. Under no circumstances, we are holding a gun to the back of these family members and asking them to accept this compensation or we will demolish their homes.
But Palestinian families say the state offer of compensation is no compensation at all and further threaten to refuse state demands for their homes.
The families were told that there was no need to evacuate their homes since it was still unclear whether construction was meant to end with the eviction orders. Now, members of the families fear that the Israeli government intends to use eviction to pressure them to sign the plan, reports the Jerusalem Post.