Israeli police remove protest tent against land confiscation in Jerusalem

On Thursday 24th January, Israeli police removed a tent a Palestinian had erected on his land in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Shufat to protest an Israel plan to seize the land to build a road that would serve nearby settlements, said a relative of the landowner. Majd Abu Nee told WAFA that three Israeli police jeeps raided the area and told the landowner, Amer Abu Nee, that he should remove the tent and when he refused, the police removed and confiscated the tent. The landowner was given an order to report to a police station for interrogation. Abu Nee said the family had taken an oath not to leave their land under any condition. "We will stay on our land and keep building tents to protect it," he said. The tent, which the family has named the Olive Steadfast tent, was erected on Tuesday to protest a plan by the West Jerusalem Israeli municipality to seize 117 dunums of Shufat and nearby Beit Hanina land to build a road that would connect illegal settlements to the east and west of the neighborhoods.