The below article is from Ha’aretz Newspaper 9th July 2013 – Regavim have added comments where necessary to explain or clear up a possible misunderstaning of the text 🙂
The West Bank Land Registry has been marked classified for more than four decades; the dramatic June 26 decision is likely to ease settlement expansion.
By Chaim Levinson, Jul.09, 2013
Forty-six years after the West Bank Land Registry was marked classified and closed off to the public, the Jerusalem District Court has ordered the state to give settlers information on the identities of Palestinians who own land near settlements. The dramatic June 26 decision will likely ease settlement expansion. [Under Jordanian Law it was also classified]
Inside the Green Line, one can learn the identity of owners of housing units or land for a NIS 10 fee. But in the West Bank, outside the Green Line, this information has been secret and classified. Only a person with a “link to the land” could make a request from the Civil Administration in Beit El, and obtain the needed information from the Land Registry. Those without such a “link” had to get the information from people in the Palestinian villages or sources in the Civil Administration. [“Link to the land” is a racially prejudicial term which led to racially prejudicial laws and was/is a euphemism for Arab]
The Civil Administration had a policy of keeping the Land Registry classified for several reasons. First, it allowed them to learn whether a Palestinian had sold his land to an Israeli, which is a capital offense in the Palestinian Authority. [Why would the CA want to know if an Arab sold land to a Jew because such an action is a capital offence in the Palestinian Authority??] Also, there is a widespread phenomenon of forged land transactions in the West Bank. Taking advantage of the partial listings and the fact that many Palestinians are in Jordan or the United States, the offenders forge the owners’ signatures. [Exactly why it should not be secret or classified so as to stop forgeries etc.]
Last year, the settlement of Psagot and the non-profit organization Regavim, whose stated mission is to protect Israel’s lands and properties, petitioned the court for information on the identities of landowners in the settlement and the hill adjacent to it. The petitioners claimed that they wanted the information so they could “buy more land near the settlement for development and expansion. The land is wilderness that has no value aside from being included in the settlement.” They claimed that they had a “link to the land” because they lived in close proximity to it.
Psagot was founded in 1978 on Palestinian land that was seized “for military purposes.” This was outlawed in the Elon Moreh High Court ruling of October 22, 1979, when the High Court of Justice ruled that land could not be seized for military purposes and settlements built on it. There are tracts of Palestinian-owned land in Psagot on which settlers have built homes illegally, and tracts owned by Palestinians that have been included inside the settlement’s fence, though nothing has been built on them.
Psagot requested information about tracts of land outside the settlement’s jurisdiction. State officials turned down the request for information with standard justifications, saying that close proximity to land and the desire to buy it making you an interested party are not enough [especially if you are a Jew] . But Jerusalem District Court Judge Dr. Yigal Mersel accepted Psagot’s petition, writing that the state’s interpretation was unacceptable.
“Even if I assume that in the region (Judea and Samaria) special circumstances exist that differ from those in Israel, the state still had to show that the interpretation it adopted for the procedure is reasonable and proportionate. It still had to show that there was reason, from the start, not to discuss an individual request for information about land that bordered [on the settlement] and the wish to purchase it.” [and not just a prejudice against Jews who would like to live in their biblical heartland]
This decision has a dramatic effect on the expansion of settlements, since currently the state enforces only the prohibition against building on privately-owned Palestinian land. In the area of Ramallah, the Jordan Valley and Tul Karm, most of the Palestinian-owned land is registered in the Land Registry. Without buying it, the settlements will have difficulty expanding. In settlements such as Psagot, Kochav Hashachar, Ofra, Beit El and Kochav Ya’akov, information may now be obtained that will enable the start of the process by which the land will be transferred to them. Knowing who owns the land will facilitate land purchases. [Obviously Haaretz finds it terrible that now that the land registry is not secret anymore Jews will be able to buy land legally and know they are actually buying from the registered owners by see the entry in the land registry]
Dror Etkes, an activist who keeps track of settlement policy in the West Bank, said, “This is land that the settlers already took control over for all practical purposes, with help from the state, by construction, farming, fencing and the use of violence.” [If this were really the case why then would Jews push so hard to unclassify the Land Registry]
yamit82 Said:
I noticed that their solution was to try and evangelize the muslims. LOL. This actually makes their animosity to Israel rational as they wish to ingratiate with the muslims. I think it is more likely that the pope will convert to islam.
yamit82 Said:
Alullaby for you
http://youtu.be/q5p00nDZNYA
bernard ross Said:
Some christians are getting concerned even scared, not that they can do much about it now.
Defeating the West Via the Womb
bernard ross Said:
Looking for the splinters in another’s eye
@ CuriousAmerican:
I am curious, why is it that worldwide churches are spending so much time complaining about Israel and allow the following:
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/3853/pakistan-christians-violations
shouldn’t you be somewhere else trying to stop your sisters from being slaughtered by the muslims rather than defending the muslims?
Christian churches are astounding with so much slaughter of christians going on how do they find the time to condemn israel.
Laura Said:
Yes of course you are correct. https://www.israpundit.org/archives/56449/comment-page-1#comment-283139 🙂
honeybee Said:
The claim of the community of Israel to the Land of Israel in its entirety as its historic homeland is predicated upon G-d’s covenant with Abraham (Genesis 15:7-21). However, with regard to three specific geographical areas — the Cave of Makhpela, the Temple Mount, and Shekhem — title to the land is based upon more conventional grounds. These particular sites are described in Scripture as having become the property of our ancestors by right of purchase long before they acquired title to the rest of the Land of Canaan. The uniqueness of these areas is underscored by the sages of the Midrash (B’reshit Rabba 79:7). Why implied, queries the Midrash, is the narrative concerning Abraham’s purchase of the sepulcher in the field of Makhpela spelled out in such minute detail (Genesis 23:3-17)? Why does the Bible so carefully identify the individual from whom David purchased the Temple Mount (II Samuel 24:18-25)?
Why does the Torah relate that Jacob pitched his tent for the sum of 100 kesita (Genesis 33:19)? Answers the Midrash: ‘So that the nations of the world will not be able to taunt Israel saying, “These [lands] are in your possession by virtue of theft.”‘ These historical facts are recorded for a specific purpose, viz., so that for all posterity the gentile nations will never be in the position of being able to taunt the community of Israel with the claim that Israel lacks clear title to those historic sites.
In purchasing this parcel of land for use as a burial place Abraham paid more that the fair market value. The land, according to rabbinic sources, was not at all worth the 400 shekalim of highest quality silver which Abraham paid.
In the same vein is Rashi’s commentary: “It was not necessary to begin the Torah, [whose main objective is to teach commandments and mitzvot, with this verse] but from This month shall be unto you the [beginning of months] [Sh’mot 12:2], since this is the first mitzva that Israel was commanded. And what is the reason that this begins with B’reshit? Because of [the verse] The power of His works He hath declared to His people in giving them the heritage of the nations [Tehillim 111:6]. For if the nations of the world should say to Israel: ‘You are robbers, because you have seized by force the lands of the seven nations’ they [Israel] could say to them, ‘The entire world belongs to the Holy One, Blessed Be He, He created it and gave it to whomever it was right in His eyes. Of His own will He took it from them and gave it to us.’ [Yalkut, Sh’mot 12:2]”
Psalm 105:44-45 states:
“And He gave them the lands of the nations and the labor of the people did they inherit. That they might keep His statutes and observe His laws.”
NOTE: It is obvious the christian missionary CA does not either believe in the Jewish G-d of Israel nor accept his revealed word aka Torah. Those christians and CA are a sham and are Pagans in Every way. 🙂
CuriousAmerican Said:
The Israelis will return the land ( they stole?) the minute after we American return the land we stole from the Amer. Indian tribes and Mexicans.
@ CuriousAmerican:
Jews didn’t take any land wrongly. Jews are the lawful owners of all of the land of Israel.
How about an Arab selling the land to a non Jew? Is that a capital offence in the land of peace loving Islam?
CuriousAmerican Said:
Nope. Only for JEWS. JNF alone owns a lot of land over the GREEN LINE, purchased before 1948.
Any Land owned by Arabs with PROOF of Legal registration will be compensated if already settled by Jews, especially in view of the fact that till now no claims have been made by absentee Arabs, I think the value of expropriated Arab land, should be given first to those Jewish refugees and their surviving Kin from Arab Lands before a cent is paid to any Arab.
IMO Jews should treat Arabs and their property claims no differently than Arabs treat Jews and any Jewish claims of material and property loss claims.
I would suspect this will be a mixed bag.
While some Jews will have to surrender land they took wrongly, it will let Jews know what land is open to settle and Jews will buy up every piece of land without an owner.
I expect this to be available on the internet.