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On an ordinary day in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem, a Muslim girl and a Jewish boy pass each other on the street with absolute naturalness. Jerusalem is considered a holy city in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, where until recently the three religions shared territory with some harmony.

At least 70 Palestinian families threatened with eviction live in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood. For Israel, those lands are owned by Jewish families, residents of East Jerusalem before '48. Palestinian refugees by law have no right to claim property inside Israel, Jews do.

The property dispute is a legal and political imbroglio that has dragged on for 70 years. Israel considers the entire city of Jerusalem as its capital. Most of the international community does not recognize this decision, and the Palestinians want the eastern part of Jerusalem to be the capital of a future state of their own.

In 1956, 28 Palestinian families settled in Sheikh Jarrah under an agreement with Jordan-which at the time controlled East Jerusalem before the Israeli conquest in 1967-and the United Nations Relief Agency for Palestine Refugees (Unrwa). Palestinian families agreed to receive the houses by giving up their refugee status in return. However, the properties were not registered in their names, which created the legal vacuum that led to the current situation.

The Nahalat Shimon organization claims to hold land rights to the Sheikh Jarrah properties, legally acquired before 1948, when the State of Israel became independent, and previously owned by two Jewish organizations. The group claims to have renewed its title registration in 1972.

An Israeli law passed in 1970-three years after the Six Day War and the seizure of East Jerusalem-allows descendants of Jews residing in the holy city before 1948 to claim property in the eastern neighborhoods. A rule that does not apply to Palestinians.