By Donna Baranski-Walker | Founder & Executive Director, Rebuilding Alliance
For over 35 years, the Sumreen Family has been working to restore their confiscated Jerusalem home and land. In 1987, Israel's Custodian of Absentees’ Properties declared the Sumarin family home as an absentee property without their knowledge.
On Wednesday, June 29th, the Supreme Court of Israel heard the Family's appeal — and it was a good start.
The Supreme Court listened for 2.5 hours, asking key questions. The Court then gave the Government of Israel 45 days to explain how the Sumreen family home came to be declared "Absentee" in the first place. Until now, the lower courts had refused to hear the details.
According to Rabbi Arik Ascherman, founder of the Sumreen Coalition, "The judges asked the critical question — even if not the subject of the hearing, 'Who lived in the house when Musa then Ahian Muhammad passed away?' According to the practices of 1969 and again after 1995, the fact that a family lives in a house precludes the use of the Absentee Property Act, even if [the house] is not theirs."
Two years ago, at the start of the COVID pandemic, Rabbi Arik Ascherman invited Rebuilding Alliance to join the Sumreen Coalition. We asked many coalition members to be guest speakers in each of the 36 Zoom-briefings that Rebuilding Alliance held with House and Senate offices. Congresswoman Jackie Speier was moved to lead a letter to the Prime Minister of Israel to assure the Sumreen Family's right to their home. Twenty-five Representatives signed on — and that letter made all the difference.
Before then, we gave it only a 20% chance that Israel's Supreme Court would take the case — after that letter, they did. During these past two years, the number of signatories on Congressional letters requesting intervention for Palestine has increased to nearly 200 offices.
Please know that when you email Congress, it really does make a difference. Thank you for all that you do! #SumreenSolidarity
Sincerely,
Donna
P.S. On May 30th, Rebuilding Alliance brought Congressional staff to visit Mrs. Amal Sumreen and her family. Members of the Sumreen Coalition joined us there for lunch. It was the very first time we've all met in person. Here are photos by Alex Bindrim and DBW (me):
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