Edit: Anything about this law they're talking about? I can't seem to find anything that sales this was a sale of property. LOL! Who said I hate Israel? Do you think a Palestinian has to hate Israel to now want to move out of Jerusalem? Yes it is absolutely realistic that a Palestinian wouldn't do it, for no other reason than they may not get a chance to live in their hometown again. Is that unrealistic given the history of racial discrimination in Israel like the airport incidents and the metro issue etc? Given that the new owner is declaring that the residents will be Jewish, what does that say to you? It says to me that if I'm selling that land, as a businessman, I want an arm and a leg because it's clear that there's a niche demand for that particular area. Also, don't dare compare with American urban development as if Ramallah is equivalent to a low-medium income area in the US. That's just insulting.
Just watched a brilliant Louis Theroux documentary on this. Rather disturbing actually. You can watch it here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00ybyxp
^ for those who don't have access: <iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sTszskhUrd0?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
I've heard about these people. I'm sure most settlers are good people, simply looking for a home or maybe see this as cheap property that they can furnish and eventually sell for higher. But I'm also positive that settlers like the ones you mentioned are out there too.
Sheihk Jarrah is a unique situation. Wikipedia has a good writeup about it explaining why. The land was owned Arabs traditionally, Husam al-Din al-Jarrahi, who the neighborhood is named after...was Saladin's doctor. Jews used to go on pilgrimages to his grave because he is said to have convinced the Macedonians not to destroy the Second Temple. But in the 19th Century, Jews moved there (and a few Christians) and built their own quarters there. In '48 the area was cut off by the Jordanian Army, and Jordan, with the UN, settled families there who had fled the Israeli side of the (new) border. When Israel took it back in '67 war, the original (Jewish) owners wanted their land back, but the courts said "fine, you own it, but the people living there can stay as long as they pay rent." Then came 2001, and a legal battle based on the authenticity of 19th Century Ottoman title deeds. I'll quote the section from wikipedia here, because it wouldn't be just to try and summarize that: Since reading all this, I went to ask a lawyer about property law here, and I'll spare everyone the headache. The short version is this: If you bought land since Israel was a State, you don't really own it, the State does. That means...anyone. They can take it anytime they want from you, but they are obligated to give you fair market value in compensation. For anyone that owned land BEFORE 1948, it's actually yours, but it relies on Ottoman documentation to prove ownership...but you have to be an Israeli citizen to exercise those rights. That's the catch. If you fled Israel for any reason during the War of Independence (or Naqba if you will) you lost your rights. The only legal reverse of that would be maybe a theoretical invasion by Turkey to reclaim the Ottoman Empire. But this is another example of what I hate about life in Israel, and how living here can make a reasonable peson an anarchist. Property law was carefully examined, and I don't doubt that, but what came of the settlers who terrorized the tenants that lived there? How justly was that law applied in the face of what was obvious intimidation and coercion? Why did they stop paying their rent? After decades of living there, they suddenly just decided to stop paying? I'd venture to guess that the police did little or nothing to prevent that, but I couldn't prove that one way or the other from anything I found. I'm not sure it really matters though. What I do know, is that showdowns like this are likely to continue, and will be fought the most brutal way possible. By lawyers.
Every group has its psychos. It's sad to see this, and frankly this is not even the worst of the worst. It's also not the way a lot of Israelis think, but as a proportion of the population, these people are a very dangerous group who are the core reason why there is not yet a peace deal. I am baffled at why they are given such free reign despite causing huge obstacles to the Israeli government. I'm also wondering if some of these people are being fooled into taking on debt that they won't be able to pay back down the line. That would be a really sad situation, to see the more wealthy Israelis taking advantage of this extremism to make some cash.
