Carter, Tutu visits site where Palestinian families were evicted

(27 Aug 2009)
1. Wide of area where Palestinian families were evicted from homes
2. Various of delegation of international dignitaries and veteran world leaders arriving and meeting with evicted Palestinian families
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Jimmy Carter, Former US President:
"It's a political issue, I don't think there's any doubt about that. It's an attempt by Israel to take over east Jerusalem which is part of Palestine. They've been living here 55 years, three families living here legally 55 years. There are 17 members in the family, they've all been forced out of their homes and they've been taken over by Israeli settlers and of course the only appeal they have legally is to the Israeli court system. I am not condemning anybody but it is obviously a matter of injustice and human rights."
4. Various of Carter meeting evicted Palestinians
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Archbishop Desmond Tutu:
"It reminds me so much of what used to happen in South Africa where people who were evicted from their homes, and their homes were taken over by whites and you would see someone say 'You see that house, that used to be my home' but they are no longer allowed to be there. But the point is that happened and now freedom has come to South Africa and we want to say to you that justice will prevail in your own situation as it has prevailed in other situations and that you should not give up hope that you will be able to live securely in your homeland."
6. Various delegation meeting Palestinians
7. Wide of Carter leaving
8. Israeli policemen at site
STORYLINE:
Former US President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter met two Palestinian families on Thursday who were recently evicted from their homes in east Jerusalem.
Carter was on a visit to the Middle East with a delegation of international dignitaries and veteran world leaders, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Israeli police evicted the two Palestinian families from their homes in the Sheikh Jarah neighbourhood in east Jerusalem and then allowed Jewish settlers to move into their homes, drawing criticism from Palestinians, the United Nations and the US State Department.
Israeli police cited a ruling by the country's Supreme Court that the houses belonged to Jews and that the Arab families had been living there illegally. US officials said the families had lived in the homes for more than 50 years.
The elder statesmen are visiting Israel and the West Bank to meet political leaders, civic groups and young people to support peace-building in the region.
Called "The Elders", the group's stated mission is to bring together independent international leaders to contribute to resolving conflicts. It was founded by South African leader Nelson Mandela in 2007.
Both Carter and Tutu criticised the eviction during their visit.
"It's an attempt by Israel to take over east Jerusalem which is part of Palestine," Carter said.
Meanwhile, Tutu compared the situation to apartheid-era South Africa, but struck a hopeful note that justice would eventually prevail, as it had in his own country.
"You should not give up hope that you will be able to live securely in your homeland," Tutu said.
The status of east Jerusalem is one of the most explosive issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel took control of east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it - a move not recognised by any other country.
Since then, Israel has boosted the Jewish presence there, building neighbourhoods where about 180,000 Jews live.
The Palestinians want east Jerusalem as the capital of their hoped-for state.

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