As Palestinian residents of Silwan face evictions, large public artwork protests

They stare out with determination and conviction from the facades of over 20 buildings in Batan al-Hawa, one of 12 neighborhoods that make up the East Jerusalem Palestinian village of Silwan, overlooking Wadi Hilwa and facing West Jerusalem and the Old City. Their presence is particularly powerful when viewed from a distance: a multitude of large human eyes, variously colored and shaped, facing the world as if to say, “Please look at me now.” Their curious presence, which proliferates through Batan al-Hawa, a neighborhood located in the heart of Silwan where approximately 85 Palestinian families have been facing evictions for decades, would prompt anyone to inquire into their raison d’etre.

To date, 14 Palestinian families have already been evicted from their homes in Batan al-Hawa. The planned evictions come on the heels of the controversial decision in May to evict four Palestinian families in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah that was postponed for several months due to Palestinian and global outcry.