Nazi Mufti’s Descendants Claim They Own the Shepherd Hotel
After Jerusalem court rejects petition against construction of Jewish neighborhood on site of derelict hotel, Husseini family calls for ‘international presence to protect Palestinian residents’ property’
A day after the Shepherd Hotel in east Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood was razed to make room for some 20 housing units designated for Jews, members of the Husseini family, the descendants of the mufti of Jerusalem, tried to stop the construction work at the site.
Haj Amin al-Husseini, who was known for his avid support of Adolf Hitler, lived at the structure which later became the Shepherd Hotel.
His descendents filed a petition claiming the land was theirs, but it was rejected by the Jerusalem District Court on Monday. Judge Yigal Marzel said the appeal was filed late despite the fact that those who submitted it learned of the planned razing about a month ago.
The mufti’s son, Abd el-Khader, told a press conference in Sheikh Jarrah, “I want to make it clear that there never was and there never will be a deal between the Husseini family and the occupation’s government for the sale of the Shepherd Hotel compound.”