As part of the Mossawa Center's continuous advocacy efforts in the neglected Palestinian village of Jisr al-Zarqa, the poorest locality in the north of Israel, lawyer Rana Jarban's request to prevent the demolition of the sports and fishing building, owned by Hamama Jarban, on the seashore of the village of Jisr al-Zarqa has been approved by the Court in Hadera. The court issued a temporary freeze order to prevent demolition until the case will be heard before the court. The court's decision was conveyed to the police who were preparing to carry out the demolition during this week.

 

"The government transformed the fishirs Village area in 2010 into a natural protected area managed by the Environment Authority. The planning authorities recently approved a detailed plan allowing the buildings to remain in the Village District and the Environment Authority should negotiate with them, in cooperation with the local council, and grant them licenses and agreements that protect their rights," lawyer Rana Jarban wrote. Jarban also referred to previous decisions by the Land Authority, which recognize the rights of the fishermen. 

 

Rana Jarban, the first female lawyer in the village of Jisr Al-Zarqa, submitted the request to freeze the demolition order in the name of the Mossawa Center and in cooperation with the Fishermen Committee and a member of the local council, Mohamed Lotfi, with the aim of pressuring the nature authority and solving the fishermen problem. "We know that the local council is trying to end the stages of development, planning and licensing of fishermen from the year 2010 and the council president has sent a number of support requests for fishermen to the development authority, we have attached them to the request submitted to the court. We know the limited legal track and will be accompanied by media and parliamentary tracks to end the tragedy facing all fishermen. Hamama is a self-made person whose livelihood depends on marine sport and fishing, and we expect their fellow citizens to stand in solidarity with her and all the fishermen advocating for their rights on the seashore of their village. "

 

In the wake of the police pressure, the head of the local council, Sheikh Murad Ammash, and Founder of the Mossawa Center, Jafar Farah, wrote last week to the director of the Environment Authority, Shaul Goldstein, to request a halt to the demolition procedures and reach an agreement with Hamama Jarban and all the fishermen on the beach. The Environment Authority did not respond to the message. Jarban, the owner of the building, had also previously objected to administrative demolition orders for a warehouse for fishing and swimming gear and sailing education equipment.

 

The village of Jisr al-Zarqa suffers from a policy of impoverishment and blockade, with most of its residents living off work outside the village. Fishing is the main source of livelihood for a limited number of families who have remained in the fishermen's village, despite ongoing persecution. All fishermen in the area suffer from instability and anxiety for the future because of the constant threat to their livelihood. As in the case of Hamama, fishing, swimming, and diving are a source of livelihood for her family of 10.