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(3) Under Ottoman law, "metruka land" is public two ways. Either it serves the entire public or belongs a specific group that had and used it many years. The Supreme Court held that groups or village residents need only show they used the relevant land for many years to establish collective rights.
Israel ignores the ruling entirely. Doing so violates its High Court and breaches local law. B'Tselem's analysis shows that Israeli state land declarations have been "substantively different from the results of the land settlements that were carried out in the West Bank during the Mandatory and Jordanian periods."
As a result, "a significant percentage of" Israeli designated state land "is privately owned Palestinian property, which was taken from their lawful owners by legal manipulation and in breach of local Law and international law alike."
A Final Comment
Israel is a serial law breaker. It governs extrajudicially in matters ranging from longstanding militarization of an occupied area, persecuting its residents ruthlessly, terrorizing them as state policy, committing cold-blooded murder, and getting international law High Contracting Parties to approve.
It shows what obstacles Palestinians must overcome to live free on their own land in their own country. Israel stole it. They'll continue resisting until one day it's again theirs. With enough support from millions of ordinary caring people, it's just a matter of time.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at Email address removed .
Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.
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