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Yet he remained steadfast seeking an alternative solution, saying:
"We are waiting for someone to help us. I am struggling to stay in Jerusalem. Our options are limited; the cost of a new house here is very high. I don't know what we are going to do, but we won't leave, or else we will never be allowed back."
For the Hanoun family, suffering compounded by uncertainty became an element of every day life, Maher saying it was "impossible to plan for a future." Evicted in 2002, they were again in August 2009. The experience took its toll.
"The eviction has destroyed our lives. To live on the street is so hard. It kills my family to watch strange faces living in the home in which we spent our lives."
Yet Maher is determined to achieve an equitable solution for his family and other Sheikh Jarrah residents. His home motivates his spirit. "The same house contains the history, memories, and dreams of my family."
The Sabbagh family lived in their home since 1956 when named in the initial 1972 actions against Sheikh Jarrah residents. Finally in June 2009, a court document challenged their land ownership right, the same action Mohammed Sabbagh knew his neighbors faced over the years. Preparing for the worst, his case remains ongoing awaiting the next court hearing. It's already convened twice, both times Committee lawyers requesting a delay for being unable to supply requested documents.
The other families keep struggling, facing one obstacle after another, being rejected time and again, yet persisting to retain land they rightfully own.
International Law Considerations
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