Contractor tries to takeover Jerusalem's Gazelle Valley

The Israel Lands Administration yesterday issued a warning against renting land from a private contractor who illegally took possession of lands in Jerusalem's Gazelle Valley.

The contractor, Zacharia Kahalani, advertised the land in the media. "The advertiser does not hold any right to the land and the Administration has even filed to evict the people who claim to have rights on the land," the Administration's statement reads.

In a telephone conversation with Channel 2's Oded Ben Ami, Kahalani said the property belonged to him. He explained that he had received permission to dig there from the kibbutzim that own the land.

Gazelle Valley is named for a herd of gazelles that live in the area, bounded by urban development. Real estate developers have sought building rights in the area, but the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel and local activists have fought to preserve the natural surroundings.