VZCZCXYZ0009
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHJM #1397 2241421
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 121421Z AUG 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5715
INFO RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC PRIORITY

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 001397 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE AND IPA. NSC FOR SHAPIRO/KUMAR 
JOINT STAFF FOR LTGEN SELVA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: IS KPAL KWBG PGOV PHUM PREL PTER
SUBJECT: LETTER FOR THE SECRETARY FROM EVICTED EAST 
JERUSALEM FAMILIES 
 
REF: JERUSALEM 1344 
 
EVICTED FAMILIES PRESENT LETTER 
OF APPEAL AT CONSULATE GENERAL 
------------------------------- 
 
¶1.  (U) Members of the Hanun and Ghawi families, who were 
evicted from their homes in East Jerusalem's Shaykh Jarrah 
neighborhood August 2 (ref), arrived at the Consulate 
General's Post 2 facility August 10 carrying a letter 
addressed to the Secretary.  The letter describes the 
families' evictions and asks the Secretary to pressure the 
GoI to restore their ownership of the homes.  The letter 
affirmed the families' commitment to peace.  The letter was 
signed by the Hanun, Ghawi, and al-Kurd families, who have 
all been evicted from their homes in the past ten months. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Maher Hanun, head of the Hanun household, told 
PolOff that the families hoped this letter would lead the USG 
to convince the GoI to restore the families to their homes. 
Husni Abu Hussayn, a lawyer representing the families, noted 
that appeals to Israeli courts following the evictions had 
been overruled.  Hanun and Abu Hussayn said that the policy 
of evictions and home demolitions in East Jerusalem indicates 
that the GoI is not serious about working toward peace.  They 
said this is leading to a sense of hopelessness among 
Palestinians that could lead to violence. 
 
TEXT OF THE LETTER 
------------------ 
 
¶3.  (U) Following is the unedited text of the letter: 
 
HE Hillary Clinton 
Secretary of State 
USA 
 
Jerusalem 9 August 2009 
 
Dear Mrs. Clinton, 
 
We are very grateful to you for the statements you have made 
and the action you and your representatives have taken since 
our eviction a week ago.  However, a week on, we continue to 
suffer, particularly the women and children.  As a mother and 
as a woman who comes from a country where family life and 
family values mean so much, we appeal to you to take steps to 
have us restored to our homes.  The women and children of the 
Ghawi and Hanoun families are suffering untold hardships 
because of our sudden and violent eviction. 
 
As the Secretary of State with much influence over Israel I 
appeal to you to put pressure on the Israeli government to 
reinstate us to our homes.  You and President Obama have 
launched a peace initiative and have appointed Mr. Mitchell 
to implement this with the parties on the ground.  I appeal 
to all of you to raise our case and relieve our plight. 
 
We believe that more evictions are planned and we are 
convinced that these, together with the past evictions are 
fatally undermining your peace efforts.  The changing of 
facts on the ground are alienating many Palestinians who are 
losing faith in the peace process.  This situation must be 
confronted and reversed if your peace efforts are to bring 
about justice, peace and stability in the Middle East, an 
objective that Palestinians everywhere remain committed to. 
 
Yours sincerely, 
 
The Hanoun, Ghawi, and Al Kurd families 
 
End text of letter. 
 
WALLES