TEL AVIV, September 28, 2010 (WAFA)- 'The political future of Sheikh Jarrah should be determined in negotiations' said the Israeli Ir Amim NGO's executive director, following the report that the Supreme Court ruling may allow Jewish settlers to move into more homes in the East Jerusalem neighborhood

Ir Amim NGO, a Jerusalem based NGO advocating for a stable and equitable political solution in Jerusalem, was not part of the appeal filed by dozens of Palestinian families of the neighborhood. Though the NGO does not interfere with the decisions of the Supreme Court, it calls on the Israeli authorities to act wisely, especially as there are peace negotiations taking place.

In Israel's handling of the Sheikh Jarrah affair, a very dangerous red line has been crossed. This line is the unilateral and problematic opening of the 1948 files. In Sheikh Jarrah, the state of Israel is changing the discourse of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict – from the framework of the 1967 borders - to the framework of 1948. If Israel justifies the return of Jews to Sheikh Jarrah, it should deal fairly with Palestinian claims on homes in West Jerusalem.

 'The political future of Sheikh Jarrah should be determined in negotiations', said Ir Amim executive director Yudith Oppenheimer. 'The Jewish settlement efforts in Palestinian East Jerusalem neighborhoods are a provocation and harm the interests of Israel. Anyone knows that in effect, Sheikh Jarrah is not part of the Jewish capital.'