Palestine FM urges UN to confront Israel after Sheikh Jarrah demolition

The international community must end its favourable treatment of Israel, Palestine's foreign minister told the UN Security Council on Wednesday, hours after Israeli forces demolished a Palestinian family's home in East Jerusalem's Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood.

Foreign minister Riyad Al-Malki accused the international community of bias towards Israel, saying that its opposition to Israeli aggression against Palestinians was limited to statements with no effect on the ground. 

He said this allowed Israel to commit human rights abuses including Wednesday morning's demolition of the home of the Salhiyah family in Sheikh Jarrah.

"Despite your repeated calls against such crimes, the Salhiyah family, forcibly displaced in 1948 is displaced once again", al-Malki said.

"Israel’s denial of Palestinian rights and defiance of the international community has continued for so long because it can rely on the fact there will be criticism and condemnations but there won’t be consequences."

Twelve family members including eight children lived in the house which was demolished on Wednesday morning. 

Israeli forces arrested 26 people, including family members and Palestinian, Israeli and international activists who were on site.

Some 28 families in Sheikh Jarrah face expulsion orders based on an Israeli law that allows Jews to claim properties that allegedly belonged to Jewish owners before 1948.

Other families in the neighborhood face expulsion orders that are based on the Jerusalem municipality's “public benefit”.