In exemplary silence, and without too many ripples, police evicted one of the families illegally squatting in Jerusalem's Shimon HaTzadik neighborhood, also known as Sheikh Jarrah and demolished the building demolished on Tuesday night.
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Although the structure is different from those involved in last year's tensions that led to Operation Guardian of the Walls – the 12-day conflict with Hamas in May 2020 – one can already say that the evacuation is a classic example of the Greek tragedy that is taking place here politically.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked accomplished that which former premier Benjamin Netanyahu dare not do in the days leading up to the operation. However, in order to preserve the coalition and prevent international criticism, their actions were kept out of the media limelight.
To understand how hypocritical the calls against the evacuation are – disguised as human rights – let us remember that all courts ruled that the Arab residents were squatters who turn down every compromise they were offered.
The land of the Shimon HaTzadik neighborhood was purchased by Jews as early as 1875 but was abandoned during the 1948 War of Independence, to be regained again in the 1967 Six-Day War.
Following a complex procedure, the land and structures were returned to their rightful owner, with an agreement between the Arab tenants and the Jewish owners that the former would pay rent, recognize the Jewish ownership and maintain the property in exchange for being granted protected resident status.
But over the years, the tenants did not hold up their end of the deal, and later, even denied it. The court ordered the squatters to be evicted by 2021, and the appeal was dismissed as well. The Supreme Court of Justice proposed a compromise and has not yet come up with a verdict.
For those who need a refresher: In May 2021, shortly before Operation Guardian of the Wall, the evacuation was postponed following a court order for fear of escalation. It was a series of submissions that followed Hamas' threat to stir up violence.
As expected, the threats then shifted to opposing Jewish worshippers ascending to the Temple Mount. Then, Hamas opposed Jews marching in the capital of their sovereign state on Jerusalem Day carrying Israeli flags. And the rest is history.
Only two weeks earlier, Hamas had fired 40 rockets at southern Israel, and despite IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi's recommendation to retaliate with force, the matter was ignored.
I do not wish to claim that everything that this strange hybrid government does is for the good of the Jews. On the contrary, I have a lot of criticism against some of its moves. However, it is important to remember that being a right-winger is a path, not a persona.
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