This is the neighborhood of Batn al-Hawa

This is the neighborhood of #BatanAlHawa in #Silwan in #AlQuds (#Jerusalem). Against the background of Al-Aqsa Mosque - yes, Silwan is THAT close to the #OldCity - are two neighborhood boys, Muhammad and Omar, whom I’ve painted with countless times with the #IWitnessSilwan mural project, and whose smiles are enduring in spite of the very imminent #ethniccleansing the Israeli regime is perpetuating through the practices of #apartheid it inflicts upon the Palestinians in its midst.

Only streets away is the neighborhood of #AlBustan in Silwan, where 1550 Palestinian residents are immediately at risk of #displacement due to the order by the #IsraeliOccupationAuthorities to demolish their OWN homes within 21 days, or otherwise must PAY the demolition fees. In place of Palestinian homes, the #IsraeliOccupationMunicipality intends to expand the tourist-targeted archaeological sites it has already built in #WadiHilweh, unfortunately known solely as the City of David to many. According to the head of a residents’ committee, Fakhri Abu Diab, 63% of the 1550 people who live in al-Bustan are children under the age of 18.

Located in the valley of Silwan, residents cultivated fruit trees in al-Bustan until 1967. In 1976 city master plan No. 9 was approved and only few buildings were allowed to be built in the area, however, neighborhood master plans approved over the years within Silwan largely did not increase building rights or allocate land for expansion. Given the growth of the population and overcrowding in Silwan, residents had to resort to building in the valley - where there are now at least 90 structures. The Israeli Occupation Authorities refuse to recognize the neighborhood of al-Bustan while allowing settlers to illegally build in the #OccupiedTerritories. There is no guarantee that the families in al-Bustan will be able to find alternative, suitable housing within their neighborhood, within Silwan, or even within Jerusalem if they lose their homes — which is actively happening within 21 days unless we can successfully employ INTERNATIONAL MOBILIZATION and POLITICAL PRESSURE against the Israeli Occupation Authorities.