After a lengthy legal battle that lasted about ten years, another wave of evictions began on Sunday morning, removing Palestinian families who have lived since the end of the War of Independence on lands in the Batan al-Hawa area of Silwan in East Jerusalem, purchased by Jews at the end of the 19th century and known as the “Benvenisti Endowment”.
Home evictions in Silwan in East Jerusalem
In the morning, after legal procedures were exhausted, members of the Ateret Cohanim organization, which holds the rights to the land, accompanied by the Real Estate Enforcement Authority and police security forces, arrived at the home of Asmahan Shweiki (“Umm Zuhair”) and began removing her belongings from the apartment built on land of the endowment. During the removal of items from the apartment, the enforcement team encountered resistance from family members who were called to the scene, and force was used to prevent them from disrupting the eviction. One family member, Mohammad Shweiki, was arrested. The mother, Asmahan, who also clashed with the team, felt weak and was taken to hospital for medical treatment. After receiving the property, members of Ateret Cohanim placed an Israeli flag on the roof.
After evacuating the Shweiki home, enforcement personnel also removed the neighboring Odeh family.
نقل الحاجة المقدسية أم زهري شويكي للمستشفى من محيط منزلها الذي أخلته قوات الاحتلال من محتوياته لصالح المستوطنين في حي بطن الهوى pic.twitter.com/mJAh8cluCy
— القسطل الإخباري (@AlQastalps) November 9, 2025
The history of Silwan and the Benvenisti endowment
In 1899, land in the Batan al-Hawa area of the village of Silwan (Shiloach), near the Temple Mount, was purchased to house Jewish immigrants from Yemen. Part of the land was used to build the “Ohel Shlomo” synagogue while the rest was designated for residential buildings.
The synagogue served the Jewish community in the area until it was abandoned several years before the establishment of the State, following the 1929 riots, the Arab revolt and according to orders from the Mandatory Government. Until the Six-Day War the land was held by Jordan and over 100 Palestinian families moved to live there. After the war, and after the heirs of the endowment were located, the rights to the land were transferred by the Custodian General to Ateret Cohanim, which was appointed trustee of the endowment’s assets.
Ateret Cohanim launched legal proceedings to remove the Palestinian occupants and filed dozens of eviction requests. The families filed objections. Over the years, endless legal processes took place in various courts, continuing for more than ten years. From time to time, final eviction orders are issued and families are removed. In the current wave, more than 30 families are expected to be evicted, according to Palestinians.
