Knesset member Itamar Ben Gvir leads protests in wake of court order RAMALLAH: Tensions are growing in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah despite the Israeli Supreme Court decision on March 1 to avoid evicting four Palestinian families from their homes. Far-right Knesset member Itamar Ben Gvir remains in the neighborhood, rallying the hard-line settler community. At the same time, Israeli police and border guards are still present, and regularly arrest or evacuate Palestinian activists who come to show solidarity with the Sheikh Jarrah families. Dozens of settlers, led by Ben Gvir, carried out a provocative march in Sheikh Jarrah under the protection of Israeli security forces, a day after the court decision. The settlers raised Israeli flags, angering residents. The tensions in Sheikh Jarrah have become a global symbol of the Palestinian cause, sparking anger in Jerusalem last year and leading led to the 11-day conflict between Israel and Hamas. Palestinian campaigns to support Sheikh Jarrah residents, led by the twins Mona and Mohammed Al-Kurd, who are among those facing eviction, are surging on social media platforms. Abdel-Fattah Skafi, one of the most prominent members of the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood committee, said that the area is “divided into two parts.” The eastern part, Karam Al-Jaouni, contains 28 Palestinian residential units. It was safeguarded by the Supreme Court decision. However, the western neighborhood of Qabbaniat Umm Haroun still houses families who are exempt from the decision, and are still at risk of eviction. BACKGROUND The tensions in Sheikh Jarrah have become a global symbol of the Palestinian cause, sparking anger in Jerusalem last year and leading led to the 11-day conflict between Israel and Hamas. Skafi said the “decisive rejection” of settlers and right-wing activists in the March 1 court decision has generated anger among the settler community. “The last rally by settlers to protest against the court’s decision called the judge who supported keeping families in their homes a traitor,” Skafi said. “We succeeded in internationalizing our cause in Sheikh Jarrah, and there was no ambassador of a reputable country or a UN envoy who came to visit the neighborhood,” Skafi told Arab News. “They have the right to protest, but that will not change anything from the court’s decision.” Skafi added that tensions in the western neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah are “more violent” because three Israeli families live there alongside Palestinians. Nevertheless, for Skafi and Sheikh Jarrah residents, the issue is “not over yet,” despite the court decision. But they are seeking to reduce tensions as they try to prove ownership of land and homes in Sheikh Jarrah. The court also decided to freeze the eviction of the Salem family from their home in the western neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. “After the court’s decision, we can say that the battle with the settlers and their supporters has moved from the eastern neighborhood to the western neighborhood, where there are 16 Palestinian families — a large number of whom are subject to eviction from their homes,” said Skafi. Ben Gvir is stationed in front of the Salem family home, and police have cordoned off the area with checkpoints. Israeli police are ramping up their presence in neighborhood, especially on Fridays, when prayers are held. Aref Hammad, a resident of the eastern part of Sheikh Jarrah, told Arab News that he hopes residents in the western section of the neighborhood will also receive the same protections offered by the Supreme Court decision. “We support every human, and we hope the Arab countries would support us to remain in our homes safely,” he said. Palestinian legal sources who follow the Sheikh Jarrah issue told Arab News that the strategy of the Israeli government for the time being is to “avoid escalation.”