The Israeli occupation to purchase five dunums from the Bethlehem village of AL-Walaja
- Violation: advertisement to buy Palestinian lands
- Location: AL-Walaja village- Bethlehem
- Date: February 02, 2016
- Perpetrators: Israel Ministry of Finance
- victims: owners of target lands
Details:
Israel Civil Administration and an army patrol hanged on February 02, 2016 an advertisement stating the government's intent to buy lands from AL-Walaja village. The advertisement was set up on a yellow signboard and came in Hebrew and Arabic.
People of the area immediately informed Al-Walaja village council of the signboard and expressed concerns of the incident.
The signboard mentioned that the purchase will be for the sake of establishing the so-called "Security Wall" in order to insure colonists' security and safety; consequently banning Palestinians from accessing their areas.
The advertisement said that Israel Minister of Finance intends to buy the properties for a period of seven years to implement the "Wall" plan. Owners of target lands must submit ownership documents to the Israeli side, the advertisement said.
Not only, the advertisement mentioned a 60 day objection deadline to the plan, during which owners of lands can object in writing to Israel Land Authority.
The minister of finance, through the ad, expressed readiness to negotiate with lands owners based on the law of purchase for public favor of 1964. The law stated that owners of affected lands can demand full compensation.
The case is now being followed up on by the AL-Walaja village council.
Photos 1-3: the target areas by the advertisement
Al Walaja:
5 kilometer northwestern Ramallah, Al Walaja is surrounded by Battir (west), Sharafat (east), and Beit Jala (south). Al Walaja has a total population of 2041 people according to statistics conducted in 2007. It has a total area of 4327 of which 446 dunums are a built-up area of the village.
The Israeli occupation devoured 155 dunums of the lands of the village for two colonies. The first one is Har Gilo which was built in 1972 and confiscated 104 dunums of the village. It is inhabited by 365 colonists. The second is Gilo which was built in 1981 and devoured 51 dunums. It is inhabited by 27569 colonists.
Moreover, bypass number '436 took over 246 dunums of the village lands in addition to the Apartheid Wall that damaged 69 dunums and is expected to isolate 4171 dunums. The length of the wall built on Al Walaja lands is 6942 meters.
According to Oslo Accords, 3% of Al Walaja is under Area B (PA is in charge of civil matters with Israel responsible for security). However, most of the village lands (97%) is under Area C (Israel maintains full security and administrative control). Here are the area in dunums:
- Area B (115) dunums
- Area C (4056) dunums
Land Research Center LRC sees the fraud techniques aiming at circumventing the law to seize Palestinian properties and lands as illegal and lawfully invalid according to UN resolutions, which stated that:
" any actions taken by Israel, the occupying Power, to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration on the Holy City of Jerusalem are illegal and therefore null and void and have no validity whatsoever, and calls upon Israel to cease all such illegal and unilateral measures".
Therefore, any act of purchase or sell undertaken by Israel such like is invalid. Land Research Center calls upon stockholders and landlords to demand and defend their rights of housing and to sue associations responsible of seizure.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
