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Right-wing activists gathering at the abandoned settlement of Homesh last summer. (Archives)
Last update - 12:50 13/01/2008
Palestinians sue for NIS 40 million for land taken by settlers
By Barak Ravid , Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Homesh, Palestinians, Israel 

Palestinian landowners on whose property the West Bank settlement of Homesh was constructed are demanding NIS 40 million in compensation and the right to access their land. The state is trying to reach an out-of-court compromise in order to avoid a precedent setting ruling.

The Palestinians brought their claims to the Civil Administration through Ramallah-based lawyers, arguing that the West Bank land where Homesh had stood, before it was evacuated during the 2005 disengagement, belonged to them.

In recent Justice Ministry talks, Attorney General Mike Blass concluded that if the case goes to trial, the court is likely to rule in favor of the plaintiffs. As such, efforts are being made to reach an agreement that would enable compensating the property owners without the case becoming a legal precedent.
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The Israel Defense Forces took over the property by means of "holding warrants." This means security forces are taking over the land in order to secure the area.

These types of warrants do not change the ownership of the property, and when the warrant expires, the property is restored to its owners.

Meanwhile, the owners are entitled to compensation for the use of the land.

To date, there have been nearly no instances of Palestinians demanding compensation for the use of their property. One of the reasons is that receiving usage fees from Israel is perceived to be akin to selling the land, or agreeing to its takeover by the IDF.

Many of the property owners are also concerned that if they ask for usage fees, they will be targetted by Palestinian groups and dubbed as collaborators with the occupation.

When warrants initially were issued for the IDF takeover of the property, the Palestinians turned down a compensation offer. Following the evacuation of Homesh, the owners decided to demand compensation.

Several weeks ago, the Justice Ministry held talks on the subject. Civil Administration officials told their ministry counterparts that the Palestinians are demanding NIS 40 million in compensation for the use of the property. Ministry officials believe that a minimum payment of NIS 20 million will have to be made, even if the case is resolved out of court.

A major sticking point among government authorities is which ministry will have to pay the compensation. At this point, it is most likely to come out of Defense Ministry funds.

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      1.   Go to court. Have a trail. Set a precedent. Punish land theft. 06:09  |  POP 13/01/08
      2.   Who turned on the lights in palestine? 07:04  |  Danite 13/01/08
      3.   re: POP 07:32  |  Efox 13/01/08
      4.   Hello Danite 09:28  |  Mark of Lewiston 13/01/08
      5.   Pay them 09:51  |  Dav 13/01/08
      6.   Arabs lies plus Blackmail = Dhimmis and Jizya or Jihad 10:11  |  Joseph E . 13/01/08
      7.   Sure, compensation for thefts by Arabs too 10:15  |  Joe Sittizen 13/01/08
      8.   Give Jews back Jerusalem and Hebron land 10:17  |  JD 13/01/08
      9.   Kibbutzes must also return our land 10:19  |  Phil Stein 13/01/08
      10.   Great, when do they pay us for Gaza? 10:19  |  Gili 13/01/08
      11.   Palestinians took land from Israel coming from Egypt(Gensis10-14) 10:21  |  sam 13/01/08
      12.   pay Jews for land stolen by Arabs 10:21  |  Shoshannah 13/01/08
      13.   Less than 1% of the annual gift from America to Israel 10:23  |  Natallie Durson 13/01/08
      14.   The ilogic of #3 EFOX and Judeo-Facists 10:31  |  B`Galil 13/01/08
      15.   And if they pay them will it belong to them? 10:36  |  Iz Ray Leigh 13/01/08
      16.   Give them nothing, Pal`s are squatters on Jewish land. 10:37  |  Avraham 13/01/08
      17.   # 1 POP 10:41  |  Jim 13/01/08
      18.   Purchase or rent? 11:00  |  Jim 13/01/08
      19.   Payment for Occupied Land 11:03  |  Avraham 13/01/08
      20.   Homesh is just another present of the Likud to us 11:04  |  S 13/01/08
      21.   Pay them and let them go to Jordan 11:05  |  e.m Jordan is Pales 13/01/08
      22.   POP@#1 11:20  |  akiva (zionist) 13/01/08
      23.   Court case 11:30  |  Choni Davidowitz 13/01/08
      24.   God how slimy 11:37  |  Colin Wright 13/01/08
      25.   so why are the bastards vilifying israel? 11:38  |  harzion 13/01/08
      26.   JD #8 11:40  |  melchizedek 13/01/08
      27.   They refused the compensations 11:43  |  KUTW 13/01/08
      28.   5. Dav: Pay Israel 11:48  |  KUTW 13/01/08
      29.   #9 phil i stein now going to give references from 11:49  |  v hardman 13/01/08
      30.   Finally, they are recognising Israel exists 12:01  |  Tomi 13/01/08
      31.   Re:Danite,Who turned on the lights in palestine? 12:08  |  e.m 13/01/08
      32.   Palestinian stupidity 12:18  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/01/08
      33.   Compensation? 12:25  |  Nechama 13/01/08
      34.   what was offered to these Arabs in 1947 12:32  |  Joseph E . 13/01/08
      35.   Israel is not a civilized country; a fact! 12:53  |  Dutch Dirk 13/01/08
      36.   The IDF land record thieves must have slipped up 12:58  |  Clickfool 13/01/08
      37.   pay them nothing 13:17  |  vladimir 13/01/08
      38.   Jim from Murfreesboro,Tn 13:18  |  Charlie 13/01/08
      39.   At least this.... 13:26  |  Esther 13/01/08
      40.   who can the parents of the Jews murdered by the PA sue? 13:30  |  Joe 13/01/08
      41.   Buy Them Out 13:42  |  Daniel Jackson 13/01/08
      42.   #35 land takeover 14:06  |  EA 13/01/08
      43.   NIS 40 MILLION IS LAUGHABLE AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR ZIONIST 14:08  |  indrajaya 13/01/08
      44.   #28 KTUW 14:12  |  Chris Linthwaite 13/01/08
      45.   The inconvenient truth 14:18  |  Chris Linthwaite 13/01/08
      46.   CHONI DAVIDOWITZ - GOT IT WRONG, AGAIN 14:42  |  Stephen Connor 13/01/08
      47.   Finally the palestinians are doing it right! 14:54  |  dana 13/01/08
      48.   Kitchen Issue 15:10  |  Nechama 13/01/08
      49.   We will also sue you sooner or later !!!!!!!!! 15:18  |  Palestinan-German 13/01/08
      50.   zionist radicals squeal 15:20  |  fadi 13/01/08
      51.   Doing it right? 15:20  |  Nechama 13/01/08
      52.   dana before you get carried away by your curses 15:21  |  danaofarabia 13/01/08
      53.   Dutch Prik 15:25  |  Steve 13/01/08
      54.   Jews own the land 15:33  |  Christian 13/01/08
      55.   44. Chris Linthwaite 15:40  |  KUTW 13/01/08
      56.   WHEN WILL ARABS PAY JEWS BACK COMPENSATION...... 15:42  |  Dagma 13/01/08
      57.   Perhaps "Christian" can enlighten me # 54 15:52  |  Clickfool 13/01/08
      58.   Danite #2 Don`t know but keep `em on 15:57  |  Tzfonit 13/01/08
      59.   Now You See It.....Now You Don`t 16:07  |  Klaudia 13/01/08
      60.   Understanding the Palestinians 16:08  |  Tosefta 13/01/08
      61.   to e.m.#31 16:18  |  Ilya 13/01/08
      62.   #47, the number is so low because they still have the land 16:19  |  Hani 13/01/08
      63.   #57 16:21  |  Christian 13/01/08
      64.   #55 KUTW 16:23  |  Chris Linthwaite 13/01/08
      65.   to Dutch Dirk#35 16:27  |  Ilya 13/01/08
      66.   Complicated Case 16:39  |  Jeff Northridge 13/01/08
      67.   Christian and the Rainbow 16:43  |  Jim 13/01/08
      68.   WHERE are TERROR VICTIMS lawsuits against PA 16:43  |  B 13/01/08
      69.   80-100 Billion in Stolen Land and Property 16:47  |  B 13/01/08
      70.   For Christian, who doesn`t know his Old Testament # 63 16:49  |  Clickfool 13/01/08
      71.   more power to the Palestinians 16:54  |  Arine 13/01/08