Occupied Jerusalem - 

"We will not allow the demolition of another house. The meeting of hands builds the homeland, and the meeting of hearts relieves adversity." With these words, the minarets of the mosques of the town of Jabal Mukaber, southeast of occupied Jerusalem, called for a comprehensive strike, today, Tuesday, in protest against the escalation of the occupation's demolition of Palestinian homes in Jerusalem.

The Arab Al-Sawahra clans led the strike along with the youth movement in Jabal Al-Mukaber, and they confirmed that they will deal firmly and forcefully with anyone who violates the strike, adding in a statement, "We will not be a prey for the occupation and its aides, and we will confront with our bare chests its bulldozers and machinery."

The matter was not limited to the strike, but it exceeded it, so that the young men closed the roads leading to the house of Maqdisi Ibrahim Bashir - it was scheduled to be demolished today - and they poured oil in the way of the vehicles, as they did in the middle of this month when the oil prevented the occupation bulldozers from reaching the garage of Maqdisi Akram Shuqairat in Mount Magnifier.

In addition to the oil and burning waste containers, the young men fought morning confrontations with the occupation forces to prevent them from storming the town, to withdraw after that and the occupation announced that it would postpone the demolition due to the bad weather, according to the official justification.

After confrontations and civil disobedience, the occupation postpones the demolition of homes in Jabal Al Mukaber, citing weather conditions (Al-Jazeera)

Binding charter and successful experiences

This was not the first time that the people of Jabal al-Mukabber faced demolition, as the Arab al-Sawahra clans issued in March 2022 a binding charter for their sons to reject self-demolition. Indeed, the people adhered to the charter, and none of the clans demolished their own house in Jabal al-Mukaber, as they fought Last year, protests took place in the vicinity of the occupation municipality in Jerusalem against the decisions to demolish their homes.

Jerusalemites, especially the people of Jabal Al Mukaber, are confident in the success of the current strike, months after the success of a previous strike in September 2022 led by the parents’ committee of school students in Jabal Al Mukaber against depriving the occupation municipality of 600 students of transportation, and the strike culminated after 3 days with the municipality’s response to their demands.

About 23,000 Jerusalemites live on an area of ​​5,021 dunums (a dunam = one thousand square meters) of the lands of the town of Jabal Mukaber, which, along with the town of Silwan, received the largest share of demolition decisions, the last of which was a commercial facility yesterday, and a house for the citizen Muhammad Ratib Matar the day before yesterday. Since the beginning of this year, the occupation municipality has threatened about 100 homes in the town.

Jabal al-Mukaber youth blocked the roads with stones to prevent the occupation forces from storming the town (Al-Jazeera)

self-defense

In this context, Jerusalemite political analyst Rasem Obeidat believes that the success of the civil disobedience waged by Jerusalemites in the Shuafat camp to lift their siege in October 2022 during the martyr Uday al-Tamimi’s operation inspired Jerusalemites to believe in the effectiveness of disobedience against the occupation, expecting that the Jabal al-Mukaber strike will be built on later and expanded. in the rest of Jerusalem.

Speaking to Al-Jazeera Net, Obeidat says that the postponement of today's demolition came because of the occupation's fear of an explosion in the situation on a broader scale, in light of the repeated US visits to calm down, and the exacerbation of Jerusalem tension due to the escalation of violations, coinciding with the new Israeli government, which aims to speed up the finish off of Jerusalem and resolve the conflict. By force, he said.

"Every person has the right to defend his home and land. The strike is a legitimate right," said Maqdisi Nabil Bashir from the town of Jabal al-Mukaber, who witnessed the anticipation of his cousin Ibrahim's demolition of his house today, but the strike contributed to its postponement.

Bashir tells Al-Jazeera Net that the political level has abandoned Jerusalem, and it is time for Al-Maqdisi to defend himself.

Closure of shops in compliance with the comprehensive strike in the Palestinian town of Jabal Mukaber (Al-Jazeera)

The strength of the mountain

Bashir explains that the demographic nature of Jabal al-Mukaber helped in the success of many movements against the occupation, as most of its residents are descended from families belonging to united clans, known as the Arab al-Sawahra clans, which are 11 clans that settled in Jerusalem since the 18th century, in what is known today as the al-Sawahra al-Gharbiyya region ( Jabal Mukaber) and Al-Sawahra Al-Sharqiya, which was separated from Jerusalem by the Segregation Wall.

Bashir hails from one of these clans, which includes his family and other families such as Shuqairat, Jaafra, and Abidat, in addition to Owaisat. Tribal and clan affiliation.

Settlement feeding

The town overlooks Al-Aqsa Mosque from the south, as the mountain rises more than 700 meters above sea level.

In 1967, the occupation began to gradually build on the lands of Jabal Mukaber, and built settlements, most notably "Nof Zion" and "Armon Hanatziv".

At the end of last year, the occupation municipality also approved a plan to build 100 housing units and 275 hotel rooms in the Nof Zion settlement at the entrance to the town of Jabal Mukaber, to expand and link it with the Armon Hanatziv settlement, in addition to the municipality’s approval in November 2021 of a plan to build a police station for the occupation on the hill of Termos. in Jabal Mukaber.