PA: Israel intensifies efforts to confiscate Palestinian land under Absentee Property Law

Date: 14 / 05 / 2009  Time:  11:59
Jerusalem - Ma’an -

Jerusalemites must not resort to Israeli occupation government courts on cases of real estate related to absentee properties, warned Hatem Abdul Qader, advisor to Prime Minister Salam Fayyad on Jerusalem Affairs Wednesday.

The warning was extended to Jerusalemites who live abroad, especially in Jordan, and anyone who gives proxy to attorneys in Jerusalem to file cases in front of the Israeli courts to evacuate tenants from their properties.

“Any person who resorts to Israeli courts on such issues will face Palestinian and Arab legal questioning," Abdul Qader said.

Because of the 1950 Absentee Property Law enacted by the newly formed State of Israel, any landowner who left their “permanent residence” at any time following 29 November 1947 to any Arab state, or to any area of the Land of Israel (as defined under the British Mandate), which is not the State of Israel (i.e., the West Bank and Gaza), automatically forfeited any property within the State of Israel to the Absentee Property Custodian - a public body, which subsequently transferred title to these properties to the State.

Abdul Qader said recent investigations revealed close cooperation between the Israeli Guardian of Absentee Properties and a special unit inside the Israeli Ministry of Justice which jointly traces the properties of Jews in Jerusalem and exchanges information with the Guardian of Absentee Properties in a newly concerted effort to seize the properties of Palestinians.

The work of these departments has recently focused on the neighborhoods of Shaikh Jarrah, Silwan, Beit Safafa, Wadi Al-Joaz and Jabal Al-Mukkaber

East Jerusalem community in West Bank demands UNRWA services after wall severs access

Date: 13 / 05 / 2009  Time:  14:55
Jerusalem – Ma’an –

The Popular Committee for Abu Dis and surrounding area organized a sit-in in protest of an UNRWA decision to close their local branch in the nearby Al-Eizariya.

Far from closing the office protesters, from three neighboring towns and including the Bedouin of the Al-Jahallin, are demanding UNRWA maintain their current office and open a medical center providing public health, pediatrician, and gynecological services to residents to residents more than four days a month. Protesters are also demanding a school be opened.

Head of the Popular Committee Issa Abu Hammad said “ the life situation of the refugees of the area is difficult.” Services in the area have been scarce since the construction of the separation wall which cut off 12,000 refugees from the service of Jerusalem. Following the construction services have not been duplicated for the isolated population.