Israel Matzav

Jews allowed to move into contested building in Hebron

The move expands Jewish property-holding in the section of the city under Israeli military and civil control. It is located in a Palestinian neighborhood just outside the Kiryat Arba settlement, on the major road that leads to the Cave of the Patriarchs.

 

Morris Abraham, a Jew from Brooklyn, had purchased the building from its Palestinian owners over a decade ago.

 

Claiming ownership, settlers initially moved into Beit Hashalom in March 2007 even though the Defense Ministry had not authorized the purchase or given them the permits to live there.

 

The Palestinian owners argued that the sale, in any event was fraudulent and turned to the courts.

 

In December 2008, when Ehud Barak was defense minister, he forcibly evacuated the building pending the completion of legal appeals. Some 600 Border Police officers and IDF soldiers participated in the evacuation, in which four officers and 23 Jewish activists were lightly to moderately injured. Additionally, at least 20 Palestinians were injured in clashes with settlers in the area of the building.

 

In the weeks leading to the evacuation, extremist Jewish activists vandalized the cemetery and the Palestinian homes next to Beit Hashalom.

 

In 2012, after initial court victories by settlers, Barak took the first steps toward authorization of their purchase of the structure. He halted those efforts, however, after Palestinian appeals returned the matter to the court.

 

In March, the High Court of Justice ruled that the purchase of the four story apartment building was legal,  but only on Sunday, did Ya'alon grant Jewish families from Hebron permission to move in.

 

Already on Sunday afternoon hours after receiving permission, did the families begin to move their things in.

...

Labels: Arab land sales to Jews, Ehud Barak, Hebron, Judea and Samaria, land purchases, Moshe Yaalon

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:36 PM