An end to land discrimination against Jews in Judea and Samaria?

Defense Ministry submits opinion to undo Jordanian law forbidding purchase of land in Judea and Samaria by Jews as private individuals.

Arutz Sheva Staff,
Judea and Samaria
Judea and Samaria

Legal advisers in the Ministry of Defense and the IDF compiled an opinion that Jews should be allowed to buy land as individuals in Judea and Samaria, Haaretz reported Sunday.

According to the report, the precedent-setting opinions are now on the desk of Deputy Attorney General Erez Kaminitz, who is expected to approve them with the backing of Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit.

The opinion also recommends easing the requirement for a permit for any land deal in Judea and Samaria, a requirement that also constitutes a heavy barrier to land acquisition by Jews.

“The permit is intended to prevent purchase by hostile factors, a justification from the Jordanian period. This justification raises the question of the status of the party applying for a permit, including an Israeli, and his being perceived as a hostile factor in circumstances in which the Israeli military government is the sovereign in the region,” the opinion said.

This is nothing less than a revolution in real estate law in Judea and Samaria, which is still under Ottoman, Mandatory and Jordanian legislation.

According to the current situation, only Jordanians, Palestinian Arabs or “foreigners of Arab origin” are allowed to purchase land in Judea and Samaria, according to Jordanian legislation that is still valid in Judea and Samaria. With the aim of circumventing the ban, a number of Jewish owned companies have been registered in the Civil Administration over the years, whose sole purpose is to constitute a means of lawfully holding land.

If the new opinion is adopted, Israeli Jews will for the first time be allowed to register as acquired private land and avoid the need to establish straw companies for the purpose of the acquisitions.

September 15, 2019 | 4 Comments »

Leave a Reply

4 Comments / 4 Comments

  1. Wonderful if accurate. I just hope to God that the A-G or the Supreme Court does not veto this recommendation.

    Israel shoud never have allowed Jordanian law to remain in force after it “occupied” Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. The Jordanian occupation was illegal. Even the Arab League never recognized Jordan as the sovereign power in the region. The local Palestinian Arabs never were allowed to vote on Jordan’s annexation of the territories. In any case, Jordan formally renounced its claims to sovereignty in Judea and Samaria in 1979, and again in 1989. That should have eliminated any vestige of legitimacy for Jordanian law. But what is truly appalling and outrageous is that Israel left in force antisemitic Jordanian laws that forbid Jews from owning land in Judea/Samaria. How could a Jewish state enforce such laws if it has any self-respect? Incredible.

  2. “This is nothing less than a revolution in real estate law in Judea and Samaria, which is still under Ottoman, Mandatory and Jordanian legislation.”
    Reading this is one of those times when I’m seriously concerned with the lack of sanity amongst my people; ARE YOU NUTS??? Ottoman and Mandate and Jordanian law STILL applies??!!!!!!!

  3. Just apply Israeli sovereignty (Israeli Civil Law) that ends legal land issues for the most part as purchases and sales will follow as they do in Israel.

  4. Jordanian law should have been removed day 1 after 67 war. The HASHmites never had legal rights to the area .
    How bloody rediculas that ottoman, u k and HASHmite rules still control JEWISH ISRAEL legal land.