Israeli court offers "protected" tenant status to Palestinian residents of Sheikh Jarrah

The Israeli Supreme Court on Monday offered Palestinian residents of the occupied east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah a "protected" tenant status which — if they accept — means they would not be evicted from their homes. The residents would also not, however, be recognized as owners of their properties.

The judge who presided over the case said he wanted to move, "from the level of principles to the level of practicality," Haaretz newspaper reported. "People must continue to live there, and that's the idea: to try to reach a practical arrangement without making various declarations. We have seen how much this interests the media. We want a practical solution," Justice Isaac Amit said, according to Haaretz.