Senior PA (Palestinian Authority) official Elias Znariri, who is the deputy chair of the PA Liaison Committee with Israel, turned to Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked at a Globes-sponsored 2016 Business Conference to complain over “stolen land”, referring to Amona. He stated Israel’s High Court decided back in 1997 it is not legal and the expropriation of land was not legal. “Twenty years later and nothing has changed. If in a country like Israel, which continues to state it respects law and order, but its government agencies are not insisting on returning the land [to its owners], then what can I as a mere Palestinian do?”

Shaked responded “I have two things to tell you. The Government of Israel respects the court’s ruling and two, as a Palestinian, you can persuade your authority to wipe a number of laws off it books and to remove the racist law prohibiting land sales to Jews, a law that carries the death penalty”.

He comments were met with shouts from the audience, but Shaked continues, stating “It is very difficult. This law is racist. It is a disgrace to the PA’s legal system. If not for this law land disputes could be resolved monetarily and I am telling you from a place of knowledge, may land owners wish to send land in such cases”. She added the land owners realize they would make a handsome profit in such deals but the law and its death penalty have them too scared into moving ahead with such a deal.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)