Carter, Tutu visits site where Palestinian families were evicted

(27 Aug 2009)
1. Wide of area where Palestinian families were evicted from homes
2. Various of delegation of international dignitaries and veteran world leaders arriving and meeting with evicted Palestinian families
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Jimmy Carter, Former US President:
"It's a political issue, I don't think there's any doubt about that. It's an attempt by Israel to take over east Jerusalem which is part of Palestine. They've been living here 55 years, three families living here legally 55 years. There are 17 members in the family, they've all been forced out of their homes and they've been taken over by Israeli settlers and of course the only appeal they have legally is to the Israeli court system. I am not condemning anybody but it is obviously a matter of injustice and human rights."
4. Various of Carter meeting evicted Palestinians
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Archbishop Desmond Tutu:
"It reminds me so much of what used to happen in South Africa where people who were evicted from their homes, and their homes were taken over by whites and you would see someone say 'You see that house, that used to be my home' but they are no longer allowed to be there. But the point is that happened and now freedom has come to South Africa and we want to say to you that justice will prevail in your own situation as it has prevailed in other situations and that you should not give up hope that you will be able to live securely in your homeland."
6. Various delegation meeting Palestinians
7. Wide of Carter leaving
8. Israeli policemen at site
STORYLINE:
Former US President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter met two Palestinian families on Thursday who were recently evicted from their homes in east Jerusalem.
Carter was on a visit to the Middle East with a delegation of international dignitaries and veteran world leaders, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Israeli police evicted the two Palestinian families from their homes in the Sheikh Jarah neighbourhood in east Jerusalem and then allowed Jewish settlers to move into their homes, drawing criticism from Palestinians, the United Nations and the US State Department.
Israeli police cited a ruling by the country's Supreme Court that the houses belonged to Jews and that the Arab families had been living there illegally. US officials said the families had lived in the homes for more than 50 years.
The elder statesmen are visiting Israel and the West Bank to meet political leaders, civic groups and young people to support peace-building in the region.
Called "The Elders", the group's stated mission is to bring together independent international leaders to contribute to resolving conflicts. It was founded by South African leader Nelson Mandela in 2007.
Both Carter and Tutu criticised the eviction during their visit.
"It's an attempt by Israel to take over east Jerusalem which is part of Palestine," Carter said.
Meanwhile, Tutu compared the situation to apartheid-era South Africa, but struck a hopeful note that justice would eventually prevail, as it had in his own country.
"You should not give up hope that you will be able to live securely in your homeland," Tutu said.
The status of east Jerusalem is one of the most explosive issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel took control of east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it - a move not recognised by any other country.
Since then, Israel has boosted the Jewish presence there, building neighbourhoods where about 180,000 Jews live.
The Palestinians want east Jerusalem as the capital of their hoped-for state.
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[@mandyinseattle]

Those soldiers can smile if they want... What a brave and courageous thing for President Carter and Bishop Tutu to do because historically, in that land, when you try to make peace, as PM Rabin did, you might be gunned down. Bravo to them both for calling our apartheid WHEREVER they see it. And we see it in Israel. Bishop Tutu explains, simply, even without explaining, the need for a boycott. No justice, no peace. BDS

[@Kiarinadia]

What Tutu seems to have forgotten is that MANDELA DID PEACE WITHOUT CLAIMING ANY PIECE OF EARTH OR PROPERTY. That's what Palestinians are unable to do because in the BACK OF THEIR MIND they are hoping to end up getting Palestine from river to the sea.

[@canaannoah4712]

good men, i have nothing but respect for both of them , i thank them for standing up against tyranny when everyone else is either clapping or just silent.

[@ADjustinG2013]

I see so many older people on Facebook praise Jimmy, but then completely ignore this message.

[@bekindandmerciful5145]

Two wonderful men

[@MegaEllemae]

Those IDF terrorists are always smirking .

[@zelenplav1701]

Christians don't seem to realize that Palestinians have existed in the Bible as Philistines. Filistine is what Palestians have always called themselves. Remember David and Goliath?

[@inezgusa01]

And?

[@amberl3305]

@@inezgusa01 I think they're just saying that Christians don't have much sympathy for Palestinians. They blindly support Israel.

[@williamlane9844]

The cananites were their before the jews, and the Palestinians are descendants of the cananites, Israel is the thiefdom of the khazarian Rothschilds, who incidentally are not hebrews,

[@georgecosta3037]

This is a lie.

[@lscottschlager2147]

Unfortunately, Palestinian Arabs have 0 connection with the Philistines. I say unfortunate because according to archealogical digs, when the Philistines landed, they settled in the Gaza area and slightly to the Northeast. They never went to Jerusalem. They never went to the area now referred to as 'the West Bank'. If we all could agree that they were descendants of the Philistines, that would solve everything, right? But wait a minute - we already gave them Gaza and look how that turned out.

[@yonasdawitmelese1528]

May God bless Carter and his family. I swear to God he is the greatest person. 🙏

[@vadergrrrl]

Best President.

[@BrokenneckYgor]

How touching-ringo arafat

[@إستقمكماأُمرتَ-س1م]

A former us president???????

[@WelcomeEarth-yj7yd]

They must come back

[@Love-xm4sr]

🗽.

[@lscottschlager2147]

Isn't it interesting that no one in this video would dare ask the question 'Why were you evicted'? I got a good laugh when after Jimmy Carter said "...I'm not condemning anybody..." At least he said it with a straight face so I'll give him credit for that but boy, what a liar.

[@mclovin9165]

Because it is rightful to evict people that lived on these lands for generations before Israel was created?

[@Kiarinadia]

People evicted had no properties owner papers because they were living there to work on property belonging to the Ottoman Empire. So after the end of that empire people had been continuing to live on what seems to them "their home". And when Israel gov. wanted to continue "enclave" more and more a possible future state of Palestine in other to neutralize possible attack from an "islamiste" country neighbor just at hand.

[@gobot581]

@@Kiarinadia literally the same rhetoric used to slaughter native American. We have a system and in our system this land is unclaimed. As if your system matters to a place you show up to. You adhere to the people of the land but I would honestly expect nothing less from people supporting genocide.

[@webb3806]

does it make sense that palestinans that are indigenous to the land be forcefully evicted because they don't have proof of ownership of their homes that they have lived in for generations or over 100 years [before Israel was created] for zionists from Europe, UK or USA to occupy.

[@Kiarinadia]

@@gobot581 where is the "genocide" in Palestine you are talking about in your rhetoric ? In that case there is "genocide" in EVERY country of the Middle est and other parts of the world and we should be giving back Canada to the native who was first. We can't refuse the fact that Israel ANYWAY WON THE WAR and find me one single country which return lands after getting them by war ? So end of story. I forgot to mention in my preceding comment (important, due to the lack of history knowledge in general) the consequence is that the "sionistes" jews bought the land to the ottoman and not to the people in Palestine. Then UN organize the sharing of Palestine.