The Israeli Supreme Court suddenly postponed its hearing on the Palestinian Legislative Council members expelled from Jerusalem. The hearing, scheduled to be held on Tuesday, 9 December, was adjourned indefinitely to an unknown date.
Three PLC members and one ex-prisoner were ordered expelled from their homes in Jerusalem by the Israeli military and they have been challenging the expulsion in court. They are PLC member Mohammed Abu Teir (currently in prison), PLC member Ahmad Attoun, PLC member Mohammad Totah and ex-minister Khaled Abu Arafeh. (The Israeli military has now ordered three young community leaders, Daoud al-Ghoul, Majd Darwish and Saleh Dirbas, expelled from Jerusalem. Al-Ghoul has also been issued an expulsion order from the West Bank as well.)
The legal team representing the PLC members and ex-minister expelled from Jerusalem, Hassan Jabarin of Adalah, Osama al-Saadi and Fadi Qawasmeh, expressed their surprise and disapproval at the sudden postponement of the hearing, noting that this case has been taking place for 7 years. Furthermore, they said that the expulsion of the four is contrary to international law and a flagrant violation of the rights of MPs.
They also said that this issue is very serious for the Palestinians of Jerusalem and their right to be present in their city because the approval of this expulsion is a precedent for expulsion of any Jerusalemites despite their status of Jerusalem residents. The lawyers urged international action to stand behind expelled Jerusalemites and defend their rights, or else all Palestinians in Jerusalem are in danger of deportation, expulsion and ethnic cleansing.
