Israel Lands Administration accused of discriminating against Arabs
Recent tender for leasing of building lots in the Galilee generates discontent among Arab rights groups.
By Jack KhouryA recent tender by the Israel Lands Administration (ILA) for the leasing of building lots in the Galilee is generating discontent among Arab rights activists, who claim that the administration is systematically discriminating against Arabs.
The bone of contention is 13 lots in Karmiel registered to the Jewish National Fund. The ILA has recently issued a tender for the marketing of these lots to potential leasers.
However, the Jewish National Fund in forbidden from leasing its lands to non-Jews, as stipulated in its treaty cosigned by the state.
The ILA tried to issue a tender for the marketing of these lands - along with other lots - in 2004, but was ordered by the court to revise the tender so that Arabs may also participate, or to cancel it altogether. The ILA opted for the latter.
The Arab Center for Alternative Planning (ACAP), a non-profit organization dedicated to representing the interests of Arab Israelis on issues of planning, land, housing, and development, claims the new tender is an attempt to circumvent the court's ruling.
The ILA retorted that Arabs are allowed to participate in the tender, that it is available to all Karmiel citizens of at least three years.
The latter prerequisite, however, effectively bars Arab contenders, as Karmiel is home to few Arabs.
In case an Arab were to win the tender, the ILA admits that it would cause a legal complication due to the Jewish National Fund's restrictions. "If this occurs, we'll find a solution," the ILA assured Haaretz, adding that the tender will go on as planned.
What could serve to nix the tender is a petition by ACAP to the High Court of Justice to allow all Israeli citizens to lease lands registered to the Jewish National Fund.
However, the ILA told Haaretz that it would not delay the tender until the court's ruling.
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Over the last five years I have lost any sympathy for Israel(is). The more I see of the injustices they incure on Arabs (Palestinian as well as Israeli), warmongering, human trafficing, spying in the USA, Lebannon, ecstasy trafficing, the list goes on. I think that there is a growing contingent of people like me in the USA, and they have existed in Europe for longer. As we transform, expect support to decrease, as in the billions the USA gives Israel (which i NO LONGER support) and I hope soon, sanctions. And NO ONE BUT ISRAEL IS TO BLAME (except maybe the USA).
The land is Jewish? What about the cars? Are they Jewish also? What about the trees?? the air? nobody is allowed to breath the Jewish air?? HELP I am suffocating!!!
If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and looks like a duck, it must be a duck.
I always laugh. You have this moral superiority complex while at the same time living in the occupied west bank- on stolen land. Who do you think you are?
This is a recurrent "accident", wherein, by some "fluke" or "oversight" or perfectly justified "regulation", Arab Israelis are automatically disqualified. Sometimes Israel is Jewish, and sometimes democratic, but the magnum mysterium of Jewish-democratic continues to elude our grasp.
Yes, it's disingenuous, but so are you. Yes, the JNF bought it and has every right to restrict who gets it. However, you ignore that the ILA is involved. They represent all Israelis, not just we Jews. They can't discriminate. What the article should do is explain why the ILA's involved at all. That's what I don't understand. If the ILA's necessary, then it must be open. If it's not, remove it and let the JNF sell to whom it wants.
1. The title of the article assumes guilt. It SHOULD be "Arabs accuse Israel Lands Administration of discrimination". 2. These lands are owned by the JEWISH National Fund. In other words, the JNF BOUGHT this land for JEWISH settlement. The JNF didn't buy it for ARAB settlement. The very purpose of the JNF was to purchase land for the settlement of Jews. 3. If the Arabs want to set up their own fund to purchase land for Arab settlement,then that's their business.
Honesty. I think that's what I love most about Israel.